A day after Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale was slapped by a man in Ambernath, the Minister on Sunday said someone jealous of his growing popularity might have conspired against him.
“I am a popular leader and [I] have no enmity with anyone. This might have been done at the behest of someone who is angry with me over something,” Mr. Athawali, president of the Republican Party of India-Athawale group (RPI-A), told reporters.
The Minister also said security arrangements at the programme were not adequate. “Even when I was going to sit in my vehicle, I was not given security by the police station concerned. I will meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and this incident should be investigated,” he said.
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Condemning the attack on Mr. Athawale, members of the RPI (A) staged protests in Ambernath, and in several localities in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Pravin Gosavi, a former member of the RPI(A), slapped Mr. Athawale at an event in Ambernath on Saturday night, after reportedly approaching the Minister to get a picture clicked. He was beaten up by RPI(A) supporters.