Addressing a meeting of the Pune District Congress Committee, Pawar, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, said under the alliance government, the law and order situation has deteriorated.

Dacoity, murder, extortion and other crimes have become a routine feature under this government and hence all the Congressmen should now join to unseat the alliance from power in the next Assembly elections, he said.

Even religious leaders like swamis and munis were being done to death in the State while the government watched on helplessly, he alleged.

Appealing to the Congressmen to strengthen the party, Pawar said they should remember that unity would mean power and disunity doom. Pawar also expressed concern over the price rise of essential commodities which has made life difficultfor the common man.

Meanwhile, the annual general body meeting of the Pune district Congress expressed confidence in the leadership of Pawar and condemned the act of ``some party seniors'' who have allegedly targeted Pawar over the defeat of Ram Pradhan at the recent Rajya Sabha polls. Though a formal resolution to this effect was not moved at the meeting, the Congressmen launched a veiled attack against the party seniors for ``creating problems for `Saheb' (Pawar)''.

Former MP and now MLC Ramkrishna More recommended the general body to adopt a resolution demanding Congress president Sonia Gandhi not to entertain the ``anti-Pawar Congress seniors'' and drop action against 10 MLAs who have been served show cause notices for alleged cross voting during the Rajya Sabha polls.

He was supported by majority of the Congressmen present at the meeting who even sought an explanation from the office bearers of the Pune district Congress unit as to why they had not issued a press statement condemning the move byanti-Pawar forces.