Even as supporters of separate Vidarbha announced plans to intensify their movement over the statehood issue, Maharashtra Transport Minister Diwakar Raote has said his party, Shiv Sena, would never allow formation of a separate state at any cost.
The minister said this during an inspection visit to the bus stand here last evening, after a supporter of the Vidarbha statehood cause allegedly smashed window panes of a few buses yesterday.
After inspecting the damages caused to the ST buses, Raote said his party would not allow formation of a separate state of Vidarbha.
"Shiv Sena would not allow a separate Vidarbha state. We want united Maharashtra and we are not going to accept any such demand (for separate statehood)," he said.
Condemning the act of targeting public property, including buses, the minister said, "By damaging the ST buses, you are not going to get separate Vidarbha...Those who damage ST buses and other property, they would be dealt with sternly."
He also announced that as a punitive measure, his ministry was mulling to bring in ten per cent fare hike within 100-km radius of the places, where ST buses are damaged or burnt by the unruly mob.
Meanwhile, reacting to Raote's statement, former MP and a votary of Vidarbha statehood, Jambuwantrao Dhote, said "These Shiv Sena leaders have forgotten that their late party supremo Balasaheb Thakeray had announced during an election rally a decade ago that he would join the pro-Vidarbha movement if the Maharashtra government failed to fulfil the aspirations of people of this region by bringing all round development within five years."
"What kind of development has happened in the Vidarbha region so far?" he asked.
Dhote also warned that more incidents of violence in the region over the statehood issue cannot be ruled out as the agitation would be intensified.
