New Delhi (PTI): Under mounting pressure from the UPA allies on the issue of attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra, Congress top brass, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on wednesday discussed the situation in that state as the party said it would not be a silent spectator to regional chauvinism.

The meeting of the Congress Core Group presided by party chief Sonia Gandhi came close on the heels of AICC's statement that it will not remain a "silent spectator" to any attempt of fanning regional chauvinism.

This was the first such interaction among the top party leadership after UPA constituents from Bihar--RJD and LJP--and ally Samajwadi Party stepped up their attack on Congress-led Maharashtra government on the attacks on North Indians with the latest incident being the death of a Uttar Pradesh migrant after being beaten up in a local train by fellow commuters.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil said Maharashtra government should stop such incidents and AICC asked the state government to take stern action against culprits resorting to violence in the name of regional chauvinism.

The party is under pressure from several of its allies, including RJD and LJP which demanded dismissal of the state government and and Samajwadi Party which asked Union Ministers Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan to take a "serious view" of the matter and resign from the cabinet in protest.

Party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said there would be "zero tolerance" for any kind of regional chauvinism.

"We will not remain a silent spectator to regional chauvinism which affects the unity of the country and the fundamental right of the people to reside and work in any part of the country," she said.

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