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RSS men shouted slogans outside my house, alleges RTI activist
RTI activist Saket Gokhale, who on Thursday tweeted about the alleged handling of the social media campaigns of the chief electoral office of Maharashtra by a Bharatiya
RTI activist Saket Gokhale, who on Thursday tweeted about the alleged handling of the social media campaigns of the chief electoral office of Maharashtra by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and filed a petition in the Allahabad high court against the bhoomipujan for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, alleged that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans outside his house in Kashimira, Mira Road on Friday. At the time of going to press, the Thane police were in the process of filing an FIR against 12 unidentified men.
Gokhale had sought HC direction to restrain the bhoomipujan during a pandemic, on the grounds that it was in violation of the protocol prescribed by the Centre. The court, however, dismissed his petition on Friday. Gokhale’s tweets on BJP leader Devang Dave have led to a demand by the Congress for a probe by the chief election commissioner.
According to Gokhale, on Friday evening, 10-12 people gathered near his building, shouted slogans and used abusive language against his family. Gokhale tweeted about the alleged harassment and claimed the group also threatened his mother. The Thane rural police provided protection to Gokhale.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh announced a probe into the incident. “@SaketGokhale We are taking very serious cognisance of this and have immediately ordered an enquiry into this issue. We will immediately provide you protection. Thane police have been instructed accordingly. #ZeroToleranceForHooliganism,” he tweeted.
Sanjay Hajare, senior inspector, Kashimira police station, said, “There was no one when we reached the building. We checked the videos and took statements of the activist and are now filing a case. We are yet to identify them. We don’t have any confirmation if they belong to the RSS. We are also checking the CCTV footage to get more details of their vehicles.” He said the men would be booked for disobedience of lockdown, unlawful assembly, provocation, criminal intimidation.
Maharashtra Congress’s general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “This is how BJP uses its organisations and workers to suppress freedom of expression.”
