'Sahitya Sammelan must condemn dalit atrocities'

Nagpur, Jan 20: Member of Parliament Ramdas Athavale has urged the 80th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (All India Marathi Literary Meet) to be held here from February 2, to adopt a resolution condemning the alleged atrocities on Dalits across Maharashtra.

Speaking to newsmen here yesterday, Mr Athavale said his faction of the Republican Party of India (RPI) would take out a 'morcha' to the venue of the Sahitya Sammelan if such a resolution was not moved.

Mr Athavale said his party was contesting the February 1 civic elections from 10 places in Maharashtra on its own ''as a trial case'', but asserted it that continued to support the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at the state and national levels.

His party would extend support to secular parties after the polls, as it wanted to prevent communal outfits like the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from coming to power, he said.

''There had been a meeting of leaders of various factions of the RPI, including myself, Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade, Umakant Ramteke, Upendra Shende and Rajendra Gavai, here yesterday to discuss unification,'' Mr Athavale said.

''We want republican unity, a single party, and not a front of several parties,'' he said, adding that it was wrong to say the republican movement was bereft of leadership.

UNI