Mumbai/ Latur, Jul 21 (PTI) Eleven workers of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party were booked on Monday in Latur in connection with the beating up of Chhava Sanghatna activists following a press conference of Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare a day earlier.
The NCP workers had assaulted the Chhava Sanghatna activists after the latter confronted Tatkare over a video purportedly showing state agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate playing a game of rummy on his mobile phone during the recently concluded monsoon session of the state legislature.
The Chhava Sanghatna activists disrupted the press conference and threw cards in front of Tatkare, following which the incident of assault took place. Videos of the incident showed NCP workers punching the activists and trying to hit them with chairs.
Based on the complaint of Chhava Sanghatna leader Vijay Ghadge, who was severely beaten up, 11 NCP workers were booked under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Maharashtra Police Act for causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation and other offences, a Vivekanand Chowk police station official said.
Ghadge is currently recuperating in a private hospital in Latur, the official added.
Taking serious note of the incident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Pawar on Monday asked his party’s youth wing chief Suraj Chavan to resign from his post.
The strict decision has been taken as his behaviour goes against the party’s values and will not be tolerated, Pawar, who had summoned Chavan to meet him, said in a statement.
The incident in Latur between office-bearers of the NCP and the Chhava organisation is extremely serious, unfortunate and condemnable, Pawar said in the statement.
The NCP head asserted he is against any form of violence, indecent behaviour or use of unparliamentary language.
“We sincerely respect the rightful demands and sentiments of every section of society. The identity of the Nationalist Congress Party is based on the democratic, egalitarian and fraternal ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he said.
Pawar said he has asked his party workers to always uphold the values of democracy, peace and non-violence in public life.
Chavan had told reporters on Sunday the incident was triggered by Ghadge and other office-bearers using abusive language against NCP leaders.
Meanwhile, workers from several political parties, including the Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), and social outfits called for a Latur ‘bandh’ (shutdown) on Monday against the assault and held a protest at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk at 9am.
After NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar shared Kokate’s video clip, the latter clarified he was merely skipping a downloaded game that flashed on the screen of his mobile phone in the legislative council.
Speaking about Sunday’s clash, Maharashtra Revenue Minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule said people working in politics should not take the law into their own hands.
“I feel there should be ideological differences, but the situation should not reach the extent of clashes. People working in politics and government be it MP, MLA or minister, we should all work responsibly and not take the law into our own hands but fight ideologically,” he said. PTI MR COR GK ARU BNM
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