Pune: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday criticised the State government for dragging its feet over the investigation into the events that led to the violent clashes in Bhima-Koregaon on New Year’s Day, which left one person dead.
The NCP’s Dhananjay Munde, Leader of Opposition in the State Council, said while speaking in Nanded district, “The BJP government is protecting the perpetrators of the Bhima-Koregaon violence. It very well knows who is behind it. Why have no arrests been made even after a week?”
He demanded why no investigations had been initiated against Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote, named in the FIR registered after the violence. While the 85-year-old Mr. Bhide, who is based in Sangli, has given interviews to a number of vernacular television channels since the clashes, Mr. Ekbote’s whereabouts are unknown.
Mr. Munde alleged that the government made no attempt to preclude the clashes despite several signs in villages around Bhima-Koregaon before January 1.
Senior Congress leader Harshawardhan Patil, too, demanded that the government investigate those named responsible for the violence (Mr. Bhide and Mr. Ekbote) by Bharip Bahujan Mahasangha president Prakash Ambedkar. “Who started pelting stones at lakhs of Bhim Sainiks assembled to pay respects at the Koregaon Ranstambh (victory pillar) on January 1? Why isn’t the government showing any urgency in probing so serious a matter?” asked Mr. Patil, while speaking in Pandharpur.
He said that social tensions in the State had been steadily increasing since the BJP government assumed power in October 2014.
