PTI

Thane, Dec 29: Miffed over exclusion of Maharashtrians from a recent committee set up by Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said that the Maharashtrian community was not given their due in the state, especially in Mumbai.
   
During an informal chat with media persons here on Friday evening, Thackeray accused Deshmukh of ignoring the Maharashtrians while forming a seven-member commitee to oversee the developmental works in city of Mumbai.

Thackeray had paid a visit to the former district mayor Satishchandra Pradhan, who joined the MNS recently.
   
"We do not realize the importance of our own people and this itself is the tragedy," he said adding that he would take up thr issue with the Chief Minister and apprise him of the treatment meted out to Maharashtrians in their own state.
   
He also expressed anguish over the fact that Marathi language has been pushed to the back seat.

The MNS chief who was in the city to participate in a workshop for the SSC students said that the older generation was to be blamed for the present state of affairs as they did not inculcate good values in youngsters.
   
Quoting an example of one of the engineers during the British regime, who had meticulously planned the area around Shivaji Park, he said that the dedication and spirit of upkeeping the city has gone missing now.