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Bhim Army seeks police permission for rallies in Pune
They have planned three events associated with the celebration on January 1
The Dalit group, Bhim Army led by its founder Chandrashekhar Azad, alias Ravan, have planned three events in Pune district associated with the annual celebrations of the Battle of Koregaon anniversary on January 1.
These celebrations will include a public rally at the Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School (SSPMS) grounds at Shivajinagar on December 30, an address to students at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and the showering of floral tributes on the victory memorial obelisk (jay stambh) at Koregaon. The rally will be held under the banner Bhima Koregaon Sangharsha Mahasabha.
The Bhim Army –Dalit Ekta Mission or Dr Ambedkar’s Army is a Saharanpur (UP) based Dalit organisation which runs free schools for Dalit children in Saharanpur district of Western UP.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the organisation’s Pune unit president Datta Pol said applications have been submitted for seeking permission from the Special Branch (SB) and the intelligence and internal security wing of Pune police for the December 30 public rally.
He said that talks with the Ashok Morale, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP , special branch) have been positive. “If we don’t get the permission, then we will knock the door of the high court,” Pol said.
Last year, the bicentenary celebrations of the Battle of Koregaon were marred by large scale violence and clashes between Dalits and right wing groups leading to multiple arrests and allegations by the police that Maoists and their sympathisers were behind the violence.
Pol criticised the affidavit submitted by Samasta Hindu Aghadi President and Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote saying that it was the notorious gangster Haji Mastan who had started the commemoration at Vijaysthambh (war memorial) in 1980.He demanded that Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide should be externed from five districts of Maharashtra which surround Pune district .
