Pune: Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide on Monday targeted Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) chief Prakash Ambedkar, saying the Dalit leader is responsible for stoking communal discord across Maharashtra.
“When someone as clever and intelligent as Mr. Ambedkar makes baseless allegations against me, what is one to say? He has been making noises to secure my arrest for more than two months now, whereas in reality it is he who ought to be probed for rupturing the peace throughout the State,” said Mr. Bhide at a press conference in Sangli.
Mr. Bhide, who heads Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, alleged that the Bhima-Koregaon clashes on New Year’s Day and its aftermath smacked of political opportunism.
“Ever since the riots, political parties have been crying for my arrest and that of [Hindutva leader] Milind Ekbote. But one forgets that the main spur for the clashes [of January 1] was the Elgaar Parishad of December 31 at Shaniwarwada Fort,” alleged Mr. Bhide.
The Hindutva leader questioned as to why the Devendra Fadnavis government is not pinpointing those responsible for the riots.
“Instead of backing us, all parties are keeping silent because the elections are getting nearer and politicos are eager to appease the Dalit community. This is a clear case of vote-bank politics,” alleged Mr. Bhide.
The very fact that controversial Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid was invited for the Parishad proved that the aim of the conference was to heighten tension between communities, he said.
