19 held for attack on Cong office in Pune; Thopte appeals for peace

As Thopte did not get a ministerial berth in Maharashtra cabinet, his supporters on Tuesday afternoon attacked the Congress Bhavan located in Shivajinagar area and vandalised the property

Congress member of legislative assembly (MLA) Sangram Thopte from Bhor said that he was unaware of the vandalism at Congress Bhavan on Tuesday and appealed to the workers to maintain peace.

Congress member of legislative assembly (MLA) Sangram Thopte.(HT PHOTO)

Thopte said, “I accept the party’s decision and have appealed to the party workers to maintain peace and avoid unlawful activity.”

As Thopte did not get a ministerial berth in Maharashtra cabinet, his supporters on Tuesday afternoon attacked the Congress Bhavan located in Shivajinagar area and vandalised the property.

The Congress party had filed a complaint against unidentified persons on Tuesday evening. Police arrested the workers on Tuesday night and later released them.

They shouted slogans against the Congress leadership for not giving ministerial berth to Thopte, the MLA from Bhor seat and son of former minister Anantrao Thopte.

The police subsequently arrested 19 supporters of Thopte late Tuesday night and booked them under Indian Penal Code sections for rioting and unlawful assembly, an official at Shivajinagar police station said.

“We arrested 19 people who were involved in rioting, stone-pelting and vandalism at the Congress Bhavan. They were later released on bail,” he said, adding that all the IPC sections slapped on the accused were bailable.

Party’s city unit president Ramesh Bagwe said, “The party leaders will brief the senior leadership about Tuesday’s incident and they will take an appropriate decision.”