Vidarbha Cong leaders back Aney

Senior Congress leaders from Vidarbha on Tuesday came out in support of Shrihari Aney, who resigned from the post of Maharashtra Advocate General, following a controversy over his remarks on separate Marathwada, saying that he had only echoed the sentiments of the people of both regions. Congressmen have made their intentions clear long back that they want a separate (Vidarbha) state, Vilas Muttemwar, a former seven-time MP, said.

“Not only Congress, BJP too had supported the cause and adopted a resolution for creating smaller states like Vidarbha at the BJP national executive held in Bhubneshwar in 1996,” Muttemwar said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari had also supported the demand. 

The issue was raised even during the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in 2014, he said.