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Patil apologises again, seeks release of those held as controversy refused to die down
Patil on Monday sought to put an end to the unending controversy over his utterances that followed ink attack on him
State Minister for Technical and Higher Education Chandrakant Patil on Monday sought to put an end to the unending controversy over his utterances that followed ink attack on him, which then snowballed into another row as police took serious action against protesters and interrogated a journalist.
Patil re-tendered apology over the use of certain words about Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule, and also urged police to withdraw cases against those arrested saying he wanted to put an end to the entire episode.
“I don’t have complaints against anybody. Those arrested for throwing ink on me must be released and the suspension of the officers must be revoked. Also, the legal action against the journalist who is being investigated by the police must be withdrawn. I don’t have any grudges against the person who threw ink on me,” Patil said in a statement he issued in the evening as controversy refused to die.
Even as Patil has sought to put an end to the row, Pimpri-Chinchwad police said there is a legal process they will have to follow.
“We have sent samples of ink to the forensic lab. Once the report is received, legal opinion will be sought about further action and whether to amend sections invoked in the case,” said Police Commissioner Ankush Shinde.
Among the different sections invoked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by police against four persons include 307 (Attempt to murder), 120b (Criminal conspiracy), 355 (Assault to dishonour), 500 (Defamation), 34 (Acts carried out by several persons in with common intention).
What prompted Patil to reiterate his apology - the second time in three days - was a sharp reaction his remarks invited from OBCs, the Ambedkarite movement, and even Marathas.
Patil’s statement that Ambedkar, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil, and Phule “begged” to raise money instead of seeking government grants for running educational institutions stirred controversy as opposition parties such as NCP, Congress, Vanchit Bahujan Vikas and Shiv Sena, lapped it up to target BJP, which is already on the backfoot for utterances made by some of its leaders and Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari.
As the remarks followed ink attack on Patil, the sympathy it could have generated was quickly replaced by strong reactions over serious charges such as an attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy against three arrested protesters and the detention of a journalist working with a Marathi television channel invited a backlash.
According to Police, a journalist was being interrogated for his role in the attack, instead of his coverage.
Advocate Himanshu Maratkar, representing the journalist, said, “The reporter was merely present there to cover the story. This cannot be a reason for action against him.”
For BJP, the unending controversy could have turned dear as many from the Republican Party of India (Athawale faction) also expressed unhappiness over serious charges against three arrested persons, all being associated with the Ambedkarite movement and Vanchit Aghadi formed by Prakash Ambedkar.
To put everything to rest, Patil said in his statement, “This must end and it should be curtains down on the issue. I am an ardent admirer and follower of great human beings like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil and will always remain indebted to their teachings.”
