Mumbai: The attack on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar’s residence last week has brought major embarrassment to the party, which handles the home portfolio in Maharashtra, amid allegations that the attack may have been planned as the “police had intelligence about it”.
Speaking to ThePrint, State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, who is a senior NCP leader, on Tuesday admitted there was a “definite communication gap” that resulted in disgruntled employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) pelting Pawar’s Mumbai residence, Silver Oak, with stones and footwear Friday.
“I don’t think it’s a conspiracy but definitely there was some gap and that’s why this incident took place,” Patil said.
The Mumbai Police have arrested 109 MSRTC workers who were allegedly part of the mob at Silver Oak. The police have also arrested Gunaratna Sadavarte, the advocate who has been representing MSRTC workers on strike, on the charges of allegedly orchestrating the attack. Sadavarte is in police custody till 13 April.
A source in the Maharashtra home department told ThePrint: “The police had received intel on 4 April about an attack, but it was neglected. It was more of a communication gap than an intelligence failure. We have initiated an inquiry and a committee has also been formed to look into the matter.”
Defence counsel Mrunmai Kulkarni, representing Sadavarte, told ThePrint that her “client was not at the spot so could not be arraigned for causing any kind of assault or unlawful assembly as he was not a participant”.
‘Police were tipped off’
According to the Mumbai Police, Sadavarte incited the workers by giving provocative speeches.
MSRTC employees have been protesting for the last five months demanding the corporation’s merger with the state government — which the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition) government has ruled out, citing a panel report submitted to the Bombay High Court (which is hearing the matter) and the state legislature last month.
While many protesting employees have gradually resumed work, some are still on strike. On Friday, a section of such workers protesting at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan made their way to Silver Oak and allegedly threw stones at Pawar’s house.
The home department source said “there was a tip-off about the workers’ plan even on the day of the attack, but the police inspector in charge did not take it seriously”.
A senior police inspector from the Gamdevi police station, under which Silver Oak falls, has been suspended, while the deputy police commissioner in charge of the region has been transferred.
Charges against Sadavarte
The case is currently being heard at the metropolitan court in Mumbai.
According to the remand copy accessed by ThePrint: “He (Sadavarte) on 7th April went to Azad Maidan and gave provocative speeches against Sharad Pawar, Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena leader), Nawab Malik (state minister and NCP leader) and also appealed to the workers to protest outside Sharad Pawar’s residence in Baramati.”
The copy added that banners displaying pictures of Sadavarte and his wife, along with the written message “Savadhan Sharad (Beware Sharad)”, were put up on social media.
The police have alleged that the “media was also used in this conspiracy”.
Sadavarte allegedly called someone in Nagpur on the day of the attack, the police have said in court.
When Patil was asked who this person could be, he said “the police are investigating the matter”.
In the remand copy, it is also mentioned that Sadavarte charged Rs 530 per MSRTC employee and collected over Rs 1.80 crore. “Nobody knows what Sadavarte did with that money. There is no receipt or any record of that. And that’s why the remand is needed,” the copy added.
The police have also mentioned that Sadavarte “is not sharing his phone IMEI number and the data before 31 March has been deleted”.
Speaking about the money collection, Sadavarte’s counsel said: “None of the workers ever complained that it was misappropriated at their expense. It is between my client and the workers, whether they were legal fees or what.”
The matter will be heard again on 13 April.
‘Embarrassment for Maharashtra’
Allies of the NCP in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government have reacted strongly to the state home department’s alleged slip-up in preventing the drama outside Pawar’s house Friday.
Speaking to ThePrint, Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said: “This is definitely an intelligence failure. This is not the way Maharashtra politics has been. It’s an embarrassment for Maharashtra, not any one individual.”
He further blamed the BJP and called it “a conspiracy hatched by the Opposition BJP”.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Shiv Sena MP Raut said whatever happened was wrong. “The way the residence of a tall leader like Sharad Pawar was attacked is wrong. In the house, he was there, his wife was there, including their grandsons. This is unfortunate and inhuman to attack this way. And whoever is responsible for this, won’t be spared.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also read: Striking MSRTC workers being misled; efforts on to destabilise MVA govt: Sharad Pawar