Jayant Patil suspension row: Opposition boycotts both houses of Maharashtra legislature

NAGPUR: To protest the suspension of senior NCP leader Jayant Patil for eight days, opposition leaders boycotted both upper and lower houses in state legislature on Friday.
Leader of opposition Ajit Pawar clarified that Patil had criticized the government but not made any disrespectful remarks against any individual.
Maharashtra government is using pressure tactics against opposition in the state while it is treading fearfully with regard to dealing with the neighbouring Karnataka government, said NCP MLA Rohit Pawar.
The state government should fight with Karnataka to get Marathi-speaking villages including Belgaum-Karwar too to our state, the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders demanded, while raising anti-government slogans outside the assembly.
Take stand on border row or resign, they said.
With black ribbons tied on their hands, they shouted slogans against Eknath Shinde and the cabinet.
The MVA leaders also shouted slogans against the state government for suspending NCP Jayant Patil.
Aaditya Thackeray demanded the CM's resignation and also criticized governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
He also expressed concern over government ignoring plight of farmers who had faced loss due to wet drought this monsoon.
Supporting Thackeray, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said the allegations against him were meant to divert the attention.
Prithviraj Chavan, LoP Ajit Pawar, Pranati Shinde, Dhananjay Munde among others participated in the sloganeering protest.