Mahajan hurdle at Race Course: RPI

PUNE, Dec 22: Republican Party of India (RPI) leader and Lok Sabha member Ramdas Athawale today accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ...

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PUNE, Dec 22: Republican Party of India (RPI) leader and Lok Sabha member Ramdas Athawale today accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan of creating obstacles in getting the Race Course ground for his party’s national convention, scheduled here on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference, Athawale alleged that Mahajan out of fear of a massive show of strength of Dalits, had been trying to ensure that the RPI did not get the ground.

Athawale said he had personally met Defence Minister George Fernandes over the issue and had been assured him of allotting the ground. He said Mahajan, however, had been pressuring the Prime Minister’s Office so that the party would not get the ground.

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Athwale said defence officials had given an oral commitment to them. However, they had changed the decision at the last moment under pressure from the BJP leader. Athawale recalled that the defence officials were prompt enough to convey their decision to the Congress when they had sought to hold Sonia Gandhi’s rally. He said the national convention would now be held at Kedaribaug at Wanowrie. About 7 lakh party workers are expected to attend.

Athawale said the meeting of central executive committee of the party would elect the new president and other office-bearers of the party. He said he was keen to hold the president’s post and said he would contest the election if required.

Athawale said the party was conducting the election as per the direction of the Election Commission before December 31. Maintaining that his party was the real and legal RPI, Athawale said they would approach the EC after the convention. Meanwhile, another RPI leader Prakash Ambedkar Ambedkar dubbed the national convention of Athawale group as the rally of the Congress cell.

Ambedkar sought to undermine the national convention saying that the event was insignificant for him. Athawale, on the another hand, made a fervent appeal to Ambedkar to join the main stream. Athawale said he would still persuade Ambedkar to join the original RPI and prevent a split in the party.