Dalit-Muslim groups oppose launch of book on Col Purohit

Members of the organisations met with college management office bearers and informed them that permission to the event would be revoked due to an ongoing trial before the NIA court

Two Pune-based Dalit-Muslim organisations-Bhim Army and Moolniwasi Muslim Manch have opposed the launch of ‘Lt Colonel Purohit: The Man Betrayed?’, a book on the controversial army officer and an accused in 2008 Malegaon Blasts case scheduled to take place at Lady Ramabai Hall in SP College at 4 pm on Sunday.

The book penned by author Smita Mishra will be released by former Pune police commissioner Jayant Umranikar at SP College. (HT FILE PHOTO)

According to the invite, the book penned by author Smita Mishra will be released by former Pune police commissioner Jayant Umranikar, BJP MP and former IPS officer Satyapal Singh and former Mumbai CP Sanjay Barve in presence of publisher Renu Kaul Sharma and event anchor Major (retd) Gaurav Arya, defence expert and television anchor.

Members of the organisations, including Bhim Army Pune unit president Datta Pol, Moolniwasi Muslim Manch president Anjum Inamdar, social activist Zubair Shaikh, and others, met with college management office bearers and informed them that permission to the event would be revoked due to an ongoing trial before the NIA court. The activists met with the principal of SP College and handed him a memorandum requesting that the event be stopped. The organisations have even issued a public call for citizens to protest at the book launch location.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested Lt Col Purohit for his alleged role in the Malegaon blast in Nasik on September 29, 2008, which killed ten people and injured many more. Activist Anjum Inamdar said, “The book has nothing to do with education and we have demanded that its launch be stopped and requested the police to take action. “However, if the programme is not cancelled, we will protest at the venue,” he said.