Raj seeks Pawar quittal to prove credentials on boundary issue

Mumbai, Sep 27 (UNI) Maharashtra Nav-Nirman Sena (MNNS), the breakway faction of Shiv Sena which has registered as a political party with the Election Commission, today demanded resignation of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar as an MP as demonstration of his solidarity with the Marathi-speaking people of border areas of Maharashtra.

Launching the women wing of his party, floated last year, here this evening, MNNS president Raj Thackeray said if Mr Pawar and his party MPs are really loyal to the demand for the merger of Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka contiguous to Maharashtra, they should all quit as MPs to press their demand.

Without naming his cousin and working president of his parent party, Mr Raj Thackery had a dig at him , saying while veteran Shiv Sena leader Madhukar Sarpotdar was sent to face the ''lathis'' of Karnataka police , ''they ( read Uddhav Thackery and others) sat back home.'' He lamented that all political parties were playing with people's emotions on the Maharasthra-Karnataka boundary dispute for their vested political interests. '' What did Shiv Sena do when it was in power in the NDA government to resolve it ?, he asked.

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