Tag: Vanchit Bhaujan Aghadi

Maharashtra: Police Book 2 Over Social Media ‘Threat’ of Another Ink Attack on BJP Minister

Nationalist Congress Party’s Vikas Lole has been booked in two police stations over a social media post allegedly threatening a repeat of last weekend’s ink ‘attack’ on Chandrakant Patil.

New Delhi: Maharashtra police have lodged two fresh FIRs and booked two people in connection with a social media post allegedly threatening another ink attack on Bharatiya Janata Party leader and state minister Chandrakant Patil.

Attending a function at Pimpri Chinchwad on Saturday, December 17, Patil wore a face shield, reported PTI.

Last weekend he had been attacked with ink after he had said in a speech that social reformers Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Jyotiba Bhule had “begged” for funds rather than depending on government grants to run educational institutions.

Three people had been arrested in the aftermath of the incident. Two of the arrested persons are from the Samata Sainik Dal and one is a member of the Vanchit Bhaujan Aghadi, police had earlier said.

NCP worker booked

Police identified one of the two booked as Nationalist Congress Party’s social media cell head at Pimpri Chinchwad, Vikas Lole.

One Dashrath Patil has also been booked by Sangvi police in Pimpri Chinchwad, PTI reported.

The two were mentioned under Indian Penal Code sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 505 (1) (B) (statements conducing to public mischief).

Their social media post allegedly said that ink would be thrown at Patil during his visit to a ‘Pawanathadi Jatra’ at an open ground in Pimpri Chinchwad. The event began on December 16 and Patil was invited for the December 17 function, reported Hindustan Times.

A complaint was filed by a former BJP corporator, Harshal Dhore, who claimed that Lole had threatened minister Patil with another ink attack on social media. “He used abusive language against Patil in his social media post, and he asked journalists to take vantage positions for photographs during the incident,” HT reported the complaint as having said.

Indian Express has reported that Lole was also booked by Kothrud police based on a complaint by one Swapnil Bangar.

“The person has been charged under relevant provisions of the IPC and Information Technology Act based on an Instagram reel,” the Kothrud police station official said, according to PTI.

‘Face shield’

A day after the attack, on December 11, Patil claimed that the act of spilling ink on him had been a planned one and zeroed in on a journalist, Govind Wakade, asking how he came to be at the venue and in a position to record the incident.

Wakade was summoned to the police station and allowed to go home only late at night. Journalists and their organisations had thoroughly criticised the move. The Mumbai Press Club said that it was the “collective voice of journalists” that led to Wakade’s release.

While Patil’s appearance in a face shield on Saturday set off speculation, an unnamed close aide of the minister told PTI that he put on a face shield as has been advised by a doctor to protect eyes from any kind of infection.

Ink Attack on BJP Minister: ‘Attempt to Murder’ Charge Dropped, Suspension of 10 Cops Revoked

A journalist had earlier been detained and questioned for over half a day after Chandrakant Patil asked how he came to be at the venue ink was spilled on him.

New Delhi: The Pimpri Chinchwad Police in Pune district of Maharashtra have dropped the ‘attempt to murder’ charge against three persons arrested for allegedly throwing ink at Bharatiya Janata Party minister Chandrakant Patil.

The suspension of 10 cops has also been revoked.

The incident had occurred in Pimpri city on Saturday, December 10, in an apparent mark of protest against minister Patil’s remark that the likes of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule had to go “begging” for funds to set up schools and did not seek government grants. Patil later said he did not mean the word pejoratively and that he had meant they sought donations.

Three people threw ink at Patil when he was stepping out of a building. Soon afterwards, they were arrested and 10 policemen, including three officers, were suspended for this alleged security lapse.

A day after the attack, on December 11, Patil claimed that the attack had been a planned one and zeroed in on a journalist, Govind Wakade, asking how he came to be at the venue and in a position to record the incident.

“How did that journalist get the exact angle when the ink was being thrown at me? Who is that journalist? If by tomorrow morning, this journalist is not traced, I will sit on a fast at Pimpri police station,” Patil allegedly said.

Wakade was summoned to the police station and allowed to go home only late at night. Journalists and their organisations had thoroughly criticised the move. The Mumbai Press Club said that it was the “collective voice of journalists” which led to Wakade’s release.

On Monday, Patil sought the release of those who were arrested in connection with the ink attack and also demanded that the suspension of the police personnel be revoked.

“We have dropped section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in a case registered against three accused, who were held for the ink attack on Patil. However, the other sections under which they were booked, will remain,” Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Ankush Shinde said on Tuesday.

The other sections invoked in the case are 120B (criminal conspiracy ), 355 (assault or use of criminal force to any person), 500 (defamation), and 34 (common intention), police said.

Two of the arrested persons are from the Samata Sainik Dal and one is a member of the Vanchit Bhaujan Aghadi, police had earlier said.

“The suspension of 10 police personnel also has been revoked,” said Shinde.

(With PTI inputs)

Maharashtra: Journalist Detained After BJP Minister Asks Cops to ‘Trace’ Him for Ink Attack

The Mumbai Press Club has released a statement condemning Chandrakant Patil’s words and said Govind Wakade was “merely doing his duty” when he recorded Patil being subjected to an ink attack. It said Wakade was only released after collective clamour.

New Delhi: A television journalist was detained and three people were arrested after ink was thrown at Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chandrakant Patil on Sunday, December 11, following a comment he made on Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule and Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil.

Indian Express had reported that speaking at a public event at Pimpri Chichwad on December 10, Patil said the social reformers did not receive aid from the government when they started schools.

“They started schools by going to the people and begging for money,” he said.

The use of the word “begged” allegedly angered someone in the audience and ink was thrown at Patil.

Patil eventually apologised for using the word but said that it is commonly used in rural areas. He also said that he actually meant crowd funding or what is “similar to present-day concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility or donations.”

By Sunday, December 11, Patil claimed that the attack had been a planned one and zeroed in on the journalist, who has been identified by the Mumbai Press Club as Govind Wakade of News18.

“Some people distorted my statement and attacked me in a cowardly manner. This was a planned attack. I will submit evidence to the district collector,” Patil said, according to PTI.

Patil questioned how Wakade came to be in the venue and in a position to record the incident.

“How did that journalist get the exact angle when the ink was being thrown at me? Who is that journalist? If by tomorrow morning, this journalist is not traced, I will sit on a fast at Pimpri police station,” Express reported Patil as having been heard saying in a video clip.

A case was registered against the three in Chinchwad police station under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

The BJP held protests in some places during the day seeking strict action in the case.

The Pimpri Chichwad police on Sunday evening said three persons had been arrested for the incident, with commissioner Ankush Shinde saying the role of a television journalist was being probed.

“The journalist was summoned to the police station and allowed to go home late Sunday night. He will be summoned again for further inquiry on Monday,” Shinde said.

The Mumbai Press Club has released a statement strongly condemning the minister’s insinuation and said Wakade was “merely doing his duty.” It also noted that it was the “collective voice of journalists” which led to Wakade’s release.

The statement’s headline wrongly mentions ‘arrest’. Wakade was detained.

Express has also reported that the Pimpri-Chinchwad Patrakar Sangh, a body of journalists, has also decried the minister’s apparent direction to the police to take action against Wakade.

Two of the arrested persons are from the Samata Sainik Dal and one us a member of the Vanchit Bhaujan Aghadi.

He said 10 police personnel, including three officers, have been placed under suspension for the incident. Patil on Sunday had also said he had requested the chief minister (Eknath Shinde) and his deputy (Devendra Fadnavis) not to suspend the police personnel who were on duty with him at the time of the incident.

Defending himself, Patil said he had strived hard to get Marathwada University renamed after Babasaheb Ambedkar. Asking if anybody from the group that threw ink on him had even studied the works of Ambedkar, Patil also lashed out at Nationalist Congress Party leaders Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal.

“Why is Ajit Pawar quiet today? Bhujbal has said this (ink throwing) is a natural reaction. In that case, ink should be hurled at him as well. I have read Babasaheb (works). Ask (Karjat Jamkhed NCP MLA) Rohit Pawar to read the works of Babasaheb and then come to counter me,” Patil said.

He said police must be allowed to do its work in connection with the probe into the incident and asked people not to create law and order issues.

(With PTI inputs)