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CM’s Mahajanadesh yatra: NCP workers who shouted slogans in Baramati booked
The Baramati police booked seven to eight persons, including Amar Dhumal and Sagar Khalate, two local office-bearers of the NCP.
The Pune rural police booked Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers, three days after they tried to disrupt Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ Mahajanadesh yatra by shouting slogans in Baramati.
The Baramati police booked seven to eight persons, including Amar Dhumal and Sagar Khalate, two local office-bearers of the NCP.
The action comes against the backdrop of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis taking a jibe at NCP workers asking them if Article 370 (that earlier granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, but was recently abrogated) was imposed in Sharad Pawar’s bastion, so as to not allow any other party to hold a rally there.
According to the complaint, Dhumal, Khalate and five to six others assembled “unlawfully” with a motive to obstruct CM Fadnavis’ speech and raised slogans such as ‘Ekach Vada, Ajit Dada’ (Only one promise, Ajit Pawar). The complaint stated that they tried to create a law and order situation during the course of the yatra.
Police on Saturday had denied that they resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protestors.
“We have registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to unlawful assembly and Section 37(1) (3) read with Section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act,” said an official from the Baramati police station.
NCP workers had alleged that the police used lathi-charge when they shouted slogans during Fadnavis’ Mahajanadesh yatra in Baramati on Saturday.
Responding to the allegation, Fadnavis, said, “Is there an Article 370 imposed in Baramati or is Baramati separate from Maharashtra. Such culture is not good for the state. I would like to ask them, will it be okay if BJP workers create ruckus in public meetings held by Sharad Pawar...is it the way?”
“There were only seven people. Is there any need for the police to resort to lathi- charge for seven people?” Fadnavis asked, when questioned about the NCP’s allegation of police resorting to using force on protestors.
Baramati has been a bastion of the Pawar family, though the BJP is trying its best to wrest the constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP put in all its resources to win the seat, however, Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule managed to win the polls for the third time.
At the state assembly level, Baramati is being represented by Pawar’s nephew Ajit, who was deputy chief minister of the state from 2009 to 2014.
