NCP worker involved in violence, alleges Dr Kadam

Mumbai, Mar 15 (UNI) The infighting between ruling coalition partners, Congress and NCP, was today witnessed on the floor of the legislative council, when Cooperation Minister Patangrao Kadam alleged that an elected NCP worker was involved in beating and attacking nearly 50 people, including women and children, in Sangli district.

Dr Kadam, a senior Congress minister in the cabinet, also said he was saddened after the reports that an offence was registered against Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who also hails from the same district, during the recently-concluded local bodies elections.

Mr Patil was present in the House during Dr Kadam's statement.

Intervening in the discussion initiated by Nitin Gadkari (BJP) on the issue of violence during the elections, Dr Kadam agreed with the statement made by Mr Gadkari that his son was sitting on a hunger strike because NCP workers had attacked Congress candidates.

However, he denied he went to the spot in police protection.

''I went there with the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the area to oversee the situation'', Dr Kadam added.

Earlier, while initiating the discussion, Mr Gadkari questioned the very motive of attempts to hold the local bodies elections unopposed and cited examples of how BJP workers Ankush Landge and Shashikant Shitole were murdered and attacked in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area, which falls in Baramati constituency.

He said he had spoken against the anti-social elements every time, but this was the first time that he had to talk about the allegation against the Deputy Chief Minister.

Intervening him, Mr Patil said he was never involved in coercion tactics to force other candidates to withdraw from the Panchayati Samiti elections. Since all the Shiv Sena leaders and prominent Congress (I) worker Sanjay Patil joined the NCP in Tasgaon, the people there decided to elect the candidates unopposed, he added.

However, the reply could not satisfy Mr Gadkari, who said even the state Election Commission felt ''wrong'' when it came to know that 119 nominations were withdrawn in one go.

Referring to the demand of CBI inquiry made by Mr Gadkari in the Tasgaon episode, Mr Patil said ''I was prepared for the CBI inquiry but Panchakshari Jangam, who made all the allegations against me, had withdrawn the same.'' UNI JM SSS AKJ RAI2005