Prakash Ambedkar, the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader and grandson of BR Ambedkar, has called for ‘Maharashtra bandh’
Govt orders judicial inquiry
Mumbai / Pune
Violence spread in many parts of Maharashtra and state capital Mumbai flared up on Tuesday as members of two communities clashed over marking of the 200th anniversary of Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune district in which one person was killed and several others injured.
Prakash Ambedkar, the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader and grandson of BR Ambedkar, has called for ‘Maharashtra bandh’ on Wednesday
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a judicial inquiry into incident as tension prevailed in seven districts of Western Maharashtra.
“The situation is bad and there is trouble in all directions,” said Ramesh Galande, inspector of the Shikrapur police station, under whose jurisdiction Koregaon falls. “We are still investigating which groups were involved in this.”
In Mumbai, protesters disrupted road traffic in the suburbs and local train services on the Harbour Line. They blocked roads in several areas, forced shops to shut down
Fadnavis said a Rs 10 lakh compensation would be given to kin of the youth killed and his death would be probed by the CID.
Prakash Ambedkar, the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader and grandson of BR Ambedkar, has called a ‘Maharashtra bandh’ on Wednesday to protest against the government’s “failure” to stop the violence.
Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle which the forces of the British East India Company had won over those belonging to the Peshwa.
Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory, as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community – then considered untouchable – were part of the East India Company’s forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory was seen as a symbol of assertiveness by the dalits.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi called the event to celebrate the Bhima-Koregaon battle as a “potent symbol” of resistance to RSS-BJP’s “fascist vision”.
“A central pillar of the RSS/BJP’s fascist vision for India is that Dalits should remain at the bottom of Indian society. Una, Rohith Vemula and now Bhima-Koregaon are potent symbols of the resistance,” he tweeted.