Elections in Maharashtra: Ink thrown at ex-CM Ashok Chavan at Nagpur rally

The bitter tussle within the Congress party over tickets for the upcoming polls spilled over to the streets on Saturday, when a party activist threw black ink at former chief minister Ashok Chavan’s face during a rally in Hasanbagh area, a locality in east Nagpur.

The bitter tussle within the Congress party over tickets for the upcoming polls spilled over to the streets on Saturday, when a party activist threw black ink at former chief minister Ashok Chavan’s face during a rally in Hasanbagh area, a locality in east Nagpur.

Ashok Chavan was in Nagpur to campaign for party candidates ahead of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and zilla parishad elections (HT File)

Chavan, who was in the area to campaign for party candidates ahead of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and zilla parishad elections, was addressing a poll meeting with local leaders, including former union minister Vilas Muttemwar.

When Chavan stood up to addressing the gathering, a youth, identified as Lalit Baghel, threw ink on his face. He also splattered ink on Muttemwar. Baghel, said sources, is a supporter of a member of an opposing faction.

Other Congress workers at the rally caught Baghel and assaulted him and tore his clothes apart, before the police took him away. Baghel was injured in the fight.

Chavan later said alleged the ink attack was a plot by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which wanted to foil the rally. “We will continue to fight against such forces and ensure they do not succeed in their game plan,” he said.