Gawli fails to appear for Nagpur morcha

NAGPUR, Dec 17: Contrary to the announcement of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS) mafia don-turned-politician Arun Gawli failed to appear an...

NAGPUR, Dec 17: Contrary to the announcement of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS) mafia don-turned-politician Arun Gawli failed to appear and lead the morcha to the Vidhan Bhavan to press the demand for statehood for Vidarbha region.

The morcha, estimated by the police to be around 10,000 strong, was instead led by his wife Asha and passed off peacefully. The police had made elaborate security arrangements as a precautionary measure. Water canons were kept ready to disperse the marchers if turned violent.

ABS leader Pralhadrao

Sundarkar, Ashok Mhatre and Gunwant Nagapure were with Asha when she led the morcha from Chitnis Park stadium.

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Protagonists of the separate Vidarbha state, including former deputy chief minister N K Tirpude, and former ministers Shankarrao Gedam and T G Deshmukh (all Cong) had welcomed Gawli’s support to their cause. They had described him as `Vidarbha Putra’ as he originally hailed from Anjangaon-Surji in Amravati district.

The Vidarbha unit of the Sena had launched publicityblitz for the morcha. Advertisements inserted by the ABS in local newspapers had stated that Arun Gawli himself would lead the morcha but he proved to be elusive.

The morcha was stopped near the Old Morris College where ABS leaders spoke out against the policies of the Sena-BJP government. The Shiv Sena had launched a counter campaign. Some activists burnt Gawli’s effigy in Mahal area this morning, party sources said.