Former BJP MLA among others held for ransacking PMC office

The police complaint filed by PMC water department engineer Aashish Jadhav states, “Tilekar called me when I was in office and wanted to discuss the water issue in Katraj area. As he was accompanied by many supporters, I requested them to talk on the water issue in the presence of three or four persons because of the Covid situation.”

Though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ruling in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the party’s former MLA Yogesh Tilekar and some elected members staged agitation at Swargate water depot and ransacked the office.

Yogesh Tilekar. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Police arrested Tilekar and his supporters after PMC filed a complaint.

The police complaint filed by PMC water department engineer Aashish Jadhav states, “Tilekar called me when I was in office and wanted to discuss the water issue in Katraj area. As he was accompanied by many supporters, I requested them to talk on the water issue in the presence of three or four persons because of the Covid situation. They started shouting slogans and staged agitation at Swargate water station office and threw files from my table before breaking windows, throw chairs and damaging cupboard and office furniture. Later, they forcefully brought me in front of agitators and felicitated me and junior engineer Rahul Sorte and shouted slogans against PMC administration.”

Pune mayor Murlidhar Mohol said, “I am aware about the agitation at Swargate water station, but will be able to comment only after knowing the details.”

Former mayor and Nationalist Congress Party leader Datta Dhankawade who also represents Katraj area said, “The incident shows the party in poor light. The work of the new water tank is completed and trials are underway. To take credit of the water project, the BJP did the drama and broke PMC furniture. It is wrong to carry out such agitations when administration is already under work stress because of Covid situation.”

“Around 40 people have been remanded to judicial custody,” said senior police inspector Brahmanand Naikawadi.

The protestors were booked under Sections 353 and rioting of Indian Penal Code along with relevant sections of Epidemic Diseases Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act registered at Swargate police station.