Sambhajiraje to undertake token fast over Sarathi issue

Rajya Sabha member Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati on Thursday announced a "token fast" in Pune on January 11 to protest the Maharashtra government's apathetic attitude towards the `Sarathi' organisation. The new Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government seemed to be planning to close it down, he alleged here.

"Saarathi organisation was meant for helping the Maratha community and I was the chief guest at its inauguration. "But the new government in Maharashtra seems to be planning to close it down. So I have decided to sit on a token fast on January 11. I and my associates will sit in front of Sarathi's office itself," he said.

During his meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray a few weeks ago, the latter had promised to find a way out, he said. "It seems some government officials want to end Sarathi's autonomy," he alleged..