Within months of being united for the Lok Sabha elections, factionalism has re-surfaced in the Republican Party of India (RPI), an ally of the Congress. One of the four RPI MPs in Maharashtra, Jogendra Kawade on Sunday night said his party would continue supporting the Congress. Addressing a public meeting at Subhash Road, Kawade launched a scathing attack on RPI leader Prakash Ambedkar, accusing him of attempting to break the party's unity. He was referring to the latter's recent outbursts against the Congress. Kawade, Ambedkar, Ramdas Athavale and R S Gavai were elected to the Lok Sabha with the Congress and the Samajwadi Party support. However, the alliance is on the rocks once again, following the Congress' decision to contest the June 3 by-election without seat adjustments with its alliance partners.

Kawade said efforts are being made to confuse the Dalit voters, but the RPI would continue its support to the Congress. He said any attempt to break the party's unitywould not be tolerated.

Ambedkar recently voiced his protest against the Congress, threatening to withdraw support to the party. Kawade also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre, accusing it of daring to tamper with the Constitution drafted by Dr B R Ambedkar. The BJP is trying to turn the clock back by changing the Constitution, he said, warning that the backward sections would not tolerate it. Changing the Constitution would force disintegration and anarchy in the country. Earlier, addressing a conference of backward class government staff, Kawade demanded that a legislation be enacted to determine the reservation quota in jobs. He also demanded that the persons responsible for not clearing the backlog of reservations be considered criminals and imprisoned for at least five years. He accused the BJP of attempting to amend the Constitution as it could not do away with reservations.

President of the Backward Class Employees Federation Ram Raj demanded a uniform 22 per centquota in jobs in the government as well as private sector.

Small savings agents' demand

The Maharashtra Rajya Bachat Pratinidhi Sanghatana, representing small savings agents has demanded regular status and other benefits for agents. During the second state-level convention here, the sanghatana's chairperson Bapusaheb Magaum said agents have neither job security nor benefits which accrue to their counterparts in other agencies.

He demanded that the State government accord a regular status to the agents, who are not covered by the Labour Acts. The convention adopted several resolutions, including reservations for agents during recruitment in banks and cooperative credit societies, the cover of labour laws, creation of a board on the lines of the Mathadi Workers' Board, provident fund and other benefits on par with regular government workers.

3 held for selling spurious petrol

Three persons have been remanded to police custody for four days, for adulterating petrol at a petrol pumpalong the Nashik-Pune highway. The petrol pump operator, Rajesh Khemani, a driver Raju Mango and Deviprasad Jeenprasad were caught red-handed while mixing a solvent in petrol at the Tirupati petrol pump, by officials of the local Crime Branch. The incident comes close on the heels of a similar petrol mixing racket busted by police at Vinchur, last month.