Sena stages protest over Aney's remarks in Vidhan Bhavan

Nagpur, Dec 22: Shiv Sena today staged a protest inside the Vidhan Bhavan here during the ongoing winter session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly to demand resignation of Advocate General Shrihari Aney over his separate Vidarbha statehood remarks.

Sena legislators protested by erecting a symbolic martyrs' memorial at the stairs of Vidhan Bhavan and carved out names of 106 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the United Maharashtra movement.

They also paid tributes at the symbolic memorial. The saffron party is opposed to the idea of a separate Vidarbha state and had created stormy scenes over the issue during the ongoing session, demanding immediate sacking of Aney from the constitutional post.

Leading the protest, Sena member Pratap Sarnaik said his party strongly condemned, inside and outside of both the Houses, the statement made by the Advocate General.

"Aney is Advocate General of United Maharashtra and he should have constrained himself from making such controversial statement.

Aney does not know the history of Maharashtra," Sarnaik said. Recently at a function here, Aney had called for a referendum on separate Vidarbha and said people of Vidarbha were in favour of a separate state.

PTI