Mumbai: Dalit organisations have called for a Maharashtra Bandh on Wednesday to protest the violence at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune district,which left one person dead. Maratha groups and Left parties have extended support to the bandh call.
On Tuesday, senior party leaders in the State and elsewhere in the country, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, blamed fascist and Hindutva forces for instigating anti-Dalit violence in Bhima-Koregaon. Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar said the riot was pre-planned, and police chose to be mute spectators.
In a tweet, Mr. Gandhi said, “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.”
Mr. Pawar too blamed Hindutva forces. “Authorities were aware that thousands will be gathering to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima-Koregaon. Locals say Hindutva forces have been active over the last two to three days in the area. It all happened because authorities didn’t take precautions,” he said, while appealing to people to avoid inflammatory language.
‘Hindu outfits responsible’
Mr. Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, said the violence was instigated by right-wing leaders Milind Ekbote and Manohar Bhide, who are said to be close to the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “This attack was orchestrated to create a rift between Dalits and Marathas. The Shivraj Pratisthan and Hindu Ekta Aaghadi, led by Mr. Bhide and Mr. Ekbote, planned the attack through their activists.”
He added, “People are angry and want to react, but I appeal to them to remain calm and observe a day-long bandh across Maharashtra as a mark of protest against this attack. The inquiry ordered by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should not be conducted by a Dalit judge.”
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan called it a ploy to create a rift between both communities.
