Pune, Jul 16 (PTI) Sambhaji Brigade leader Pravin Gaikwad on Wednesday called the recent attack on him “government-sponsored” and claimed that the video of the incident was deliberately made viral on social media.
Gaikwad was manhandled, and ink was thrown on him allegedly by activists of an organisation over his reported remarks on Swami Samarth, who is believed to be a reincarnation of Shree Dattatreya, at Akkalkot village in Solapur district on July 13.
Speaking to reporters here, he claimed on Wednesday that the main accused in the alleged attack, Deepak Kate, has a criminal background.
Police had booked Kate and six other members of the Shivdharm Foundation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for rioting and detained them. They were later allowed to go after the police served them notices.
Gaikwad claimed that Kate was spotted frequently with Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule when he was the state BJP chief.
He said the attack on him was “government-sponsored” and claimed that Bawankule is its mastermind. “A well-coordinated plan is being devised to finish progressive outfits in the state,” he said, adding that the video of the incident was deliberately made viral on social media.
Bawankule has not reacted to Gaikwad’s latest allegations so far.
Earlier, Bawankule had rejected the allegations that he had made calls to save Kate. “False information should not be spread against me. If required, call data records of my phone can be verified to establish that I did not make any calls to save Deepak Kate,” he had said.
The minister had also condemned the attack on Gaikwad.
“We may have disagreements with Pravin Gaikwad, but the cowardly attack on him is condemned. We did not support it. It is not in the BJP’s nature to save any accused person from legal action. An accused is an accused, irrespective of his political affiliation,” he had said.
According to police, the attackers had objected to Gaikwad allegedly referring to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj simply as “Sambhaji” and demanded that the Sambhaji Brigade be renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Brigade.
“We have explained technical aspects regarding the registration of the name (Sambhaji Brigade) with the Charity Commissioner,” Gaikwad said on Wednesday. PTI SPK NR
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