Cong protests against Sena minister's remarks on Deshmukh

Mumbai, Mar 1: Congress workers on Tuesday, March 1 condemned Shiv Sena minister Vijay Shivtare's remarks in Latur district about its leaders, including former Maharashtra Chief Minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh.

A protest march was held at Latur by Youth Congress workers to condemn the Minister's alleged derogatory remarks.

"We strongly protest (against) the abusive language of the Minister, who insulted our leaders," Congress corporator Vikrant Gojamgunde said. "This shows the level Sena leaders can stoop to," he said. The Minister had made allegedly derogatory remarks at an event in Latur on Sunday when the Sena launched a free water tanker supply scheme.

"Two persons from Latur district occupied the CM's post. What kind of leadership did they provide? They could not solve the water scarcity despite being in power. They only cared about their self interest," Shivtare had said.

The Minister had also allegedly used a derogatory Marathi phrase to claim both the former CMs were incompetent.

The other person from Latur to occupy the CM's chair was Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar, who was Chief Minister from June 1985 to March 1986.

He had to resign after his name came up in a court case. Deshmukh first became Chief Minister in 1999 and was serving his second term (from 2004) when he had to resign in the aftemath of the 26/11 terror attacks in 2008.

PTI