MUMBAI, July 17: Maharashtra Governor P C Alexander today personally received a delegation led by Asha Gawli, wife of Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS) leader Arun Gawli.

According to an official release from the Raj Bhavan, Alexander assured a six-member delegation led by Asha Gawli that he will look into their demands.But the gubernatorial decision drew raised eye-brows in the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party camp.

``We never thought that Raj Bhavan will entertain the delegation. We expected that either Governor's Secretary or a junior official will accept the memorandum from Asha Gawli,'' a senior Shiv Sena Minister said.

However in the same breath, the Minister added that in a democratic set up, the Governor is the constitutional Head of the State and any organisation or an individual can meet him to submit grievances.

In its five-page memorandum, which was also submitted to Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta, the ABS demanded immediate dismissal of the two-and-a-half-year-old alliance government for its failure on all fronts.

ABS also submitted to the Governor that the alliance government was trying its level best to implicate Arun Gawli, who was never involved in any criminal activity, in one or the other criminal case. In fact, Arun Gawli has won all the judicial battles as the Sena-BJP Government was unable to prove any charge against him.

In this connection, the ABS mentioned that while quashing his detention under the National Security Act (NSA), the court not only passed severe strictures against the top officials, but also imposed exemplary cost of Rs 25,000 on each of the five officials of the Home Department, including Commissioner of Police S C Malhotra.

Another Shiv Sena Minister admitted that his party was concerned over the steady growth of the ABS and failure of the alliance government to curb the activities of Arun Gawli as he has emerged as a major challenger to the party (Shiv Sena).

``Gawli's functioning is exactly on the lines of the Shiv Sena. Like the Shiv Sena has Shakha Pramukh and Vibhag Pramukh, Gawli too has appointed Shakha Pramukh and Vibhag Pramukh all over the State. Above all, he calls himself ABS Pramukh like Sena Pramukh Bal Thackeray,'' the Minister remarked.

The Minister confirmed that increasing influence of Gawli in the Sena dominated areas has delayed the nomination of Sena Shakha and Vibhag Pramukh. Originally it was planned to fill up these organisational posts on January 23, on the occasion of Thackeray's birthday. Then it was postponed twice to June 9 and July 7 and now it has been postponed indefinitely, he added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.