'We'll teach Tagya a lesson'

Say BJP-Sena prostestors opposing the suspension of nine MLAs by Ajit Pawar

After Raj Thackeray, it is now the turn of BJP-Sena to condemn the state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for suspending its MLAs from the budget session. Pawar on Thursday suspended nine MLAs, five of the Shiv Sena and four of the BJP, after holding them responsible for allegedly disrupting the state budget presentation.

"We shall teach a lesson to Tagya (brat or leader of a gang) for this act," echoed the Sena-BJP supporters while protesting at Alka Talkies Chowk last morning. Over 300 party supporters, MPs and MLAs participated in the protest during which the possibility of a 'Pune Bandh' was also proposed.

Girish Bapat, BJP city MLA and party president, said that the approach by Pawar to deal with the opposition was hostile. "The suspended MLAs were right in asking for fundings in the state budget for development work, which was denied in the session." "Pawar behaves like a Tagya and considers himself as the owner of Maharashtra," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Prakash Javdekar described Pawar as a leader who does not even listen to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. "This is another phase of anarchy after the emergency in 1975. We can teach them once again," said Javdekar.

Sena MLC and spokesperson Dr Neelam Gorhe, said, "Pawar runs PMC and does not bother about the law and order situation in the city, which has gone from bad to worse. Suspending nine MLAs from Sena-BJP is the height of his misbehaviour."

MNS neta speaks
"We are supporting the Sena and opposing the NCP-Congress, especially Pawar who is responsible for suspending the MLAs," said city-based based MNS MLA Ramesh Wanjale. In October 2009, four MLAs of MNS, including Wanjale, were suspended for four years. "The suspension order, however, was taken back after nine months," Wanjale said.

Barred
The Sena MLAs who have been suspended from attending the assembly for a year are Vinod Ghosalkar, Ravindra Waikar, Pratap Sarnaik, Eknath Shinde and Vijay Shivtare. The suspended MLAs from the BJP are Harish Pimpley, Girish Mahajan, Vijay Deshmukh, and Sardar Tara Singh.