Vidarbha supporters to stage dharna at Jantar Mantar on Aug 5

Some outfits supporting separate statehood for Vidarbha today said they will organise a dharna at Jantar Mantar here on August 5 in support of their demand.
Vidarbha Joint Action Committee and Federation for New States said the Centre must carve out a separate state for the backward region as it had promised to consider its demand whenever it took a decision on other states.
"We welcome the formation of Telangana. But our demand is much older and Vidarbha has a distinct cultural, historical and social background and ample resources to do well as a state," former MLA Wamanrao Chatap said.

He said the Maharashtra region was always "discriminated against" as its resources, water, land and power generation capabilities were used to develop western Maharashtra.
Federation for New States president Baba Ramkishen Tomar said they would ask major political parties to clear their stand and offer their support to them.