The Shiv Sena today split, with the outfit's North Indian leaders resigning en-masse protesting its "outrageous conduct" towards non-Marathis in Maharashtra and announcing they would form a separate party. "Shiv Sena is no different from Khalistan and Jammu and Kashmir militant groups which are trying to create a rift between people along regional lines. The main aim of these forces is to split our country," Shiv Sena's North India chief Jai Bhagwan Goyal told reporters here today.

"The outrageous conduct of Shiv Sena towards non-Marathis and North Indians in Maharashtra has deeply hurt the sentiments of Shiv Sainiks in this region," he said, adding, "if the attacks on our people will not stop, we will retaliate and we can go to any extent." Goyal, who was associated with the Shiv Sena for the past 20 years, said he has the support of the state units of Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.

He accused the saffron group of getting reduced to a "private limited company" run by party supremo Bal Thackeray's son Uddhav and his followers and further charged them with wanting to limit the party within Maharashtra's boundaries.

"Bal Thackeray's role has been reduced to a mere puppet and he is acting according to his son's wishes," he said.

Among the leaders who have resigned are Dinanath Pandey, Jharkhand Shiv Sena chief and Madhukar Dogri, who heads the party unit in Himachal Pradesh.

Goyal, while announcing the resignations by him and other North Indian leaders, said they would soon float a party.

"The new party will give due respect to different regions, languages and cultures of India and will allow total freedom of thought and expression," he said.

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