NCP demands action against newspaper office attackers

Mumbai, Feb 23 (UNI) Maharashtra NCP spokesman Ratnakar Mahajan today condemned the recent attacks on newspaper offices at several places in the state and demanded immediate action against such elements.

Talking to reporters here today, Dr Mahajan said action should be taken against all those elements who are involved in such acts.

However, he refused to comment when his attention was drawn to an incident two years back when NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal's supporters had attacked a news channel's office.

''There is no point in raking up a two year-old issue,'' he said.

To a question on Revenue Minister Narayan Rane's allegation that the NCP had not supported the Congress candidate in the Srivardhan assembly by-elections leading to his defeat, Dr Mahajan commented, ''Mr Rane is the best judge of his friends and enemies''.

He pointed out that independent candidate Ali Kauchali had got only 10,000 votes while the Sena candidate had won the elections by a margin of 15,000 votes.

In the recent by-elections, Srivardhan was the only seat which the Congress lost. A section of the Congress has blamed NCP for the Srivardhan debacle by surreptiously supporting Mr Kauchali.

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