Centre vs Maharashtra over 2018 Bhima-Koregaon violence: : Sanjay Patil

By Sanjay Patil : Nagpur

The issue of Koregaon Bhima case has been suddenly handed over to the National Investigation Agency. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has strongly condemned the decision of the Center, saying that the action of the Center is against the Constitution.

Nagpur: Conflict between the Center and the Maharashtra government has been sparked by the central government's sudden investigation into the Koregaon Bhima case. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has strongly condemned the decision of the Center, saying that the action of the Center is against the Constitution.

After the Maharashtra government decided to go to the root of the Koregaon Bhima incident, the central government intervened and handed over the investigation to the NIA without the permission of the state government. "This action is against the Constitution," Anil Deshmukh said. He also mentioned that it is the responsibility of the state government to maintain law and order in the state.

Phone Tapping: Fadnavis flares up

Meanwhile, the Koregaon-Bhima violence case was investigated suddenly by the Maharashtra police and taken to the NIA. The Center has informed the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra and the Director General of Police of the state. Due to this, there has been a spate of controversy between the central and state governments.

NCP Congress President Sharad Pawar has demanded Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to establish an SIT in Koregaon Bhima violence. Pawar has made serious allegations against the BJP government led by the then Devendra Fadnavis in two water letters written to the Chief Minister. In the case of Koregaon Bhima, the Fadnavis government misused power. Misinformed the media as well. It was a conspiracy by the police to hand over. All the left was to mislead the masses by keeping the chiefs behind. In this letter, Pawar has alleged that the police have broken most of the evidence in this case. On the one hand, Sharad Pawar has demanded a SIT probe in this regard, and the Central Government has given the inquiry to the NIA.

Bhima-Koregaon case:

Meeting to review violence in Pune underway; Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar and state HM Anil Deshmukh in attendance

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh met senior police officials in Mumbai on Thursday to review the case of violence at Koregaon Bhima in Pune on 1 January, 2018.

The meeting is currently underway at the state secretariat in Mumbai, an official said.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar in this file photo. PTI

NCP chief Sharad Pawar in December demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be set up under a retired judge to probe the action taken by Pune Police in the Koregaon Bhima case.

NCP leader Deshmukh, after taking charge as Home minister, earlier in January had said that he would seek a status report on the case and then take a decision.

The term "urban Naxal" was used by the Pune Police probing the alleged links between the Elgar Parishad conclave of 31 December, 2017, and the caste clashes around Koregaon Bhima in Pune district the next day.

While some rights activists were arrested in the case by the Pune city police, their rural counterparts had booked Hindutva leaders Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide for

allegedly inciting violence.

Ekbote was granted bail by the Supreme Court, while Bhide was never arrested.

The Pune Police have claimed the conclave was backed by Maoists. The parishad, they alleged, instigated violence near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial on 1 January, 2018.

Bhima Koregaon case:

 Shiv Sena leader says evidence against arrested activists submitted, judicial commission to decide further action

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar on Friday said that all the evidence against the activists held in Bhima Koregaon case has already been submitted to the court.

He said the judicial commission probing the Bhima Koregaon violence case can examine the evidence (against the activists).

Representational image. AFP

His statement comes over a month after NCP chief Sharad Pawar demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be set up under a retired judge to probe the action taken by Pune police against activists in the Elgar Parishad case. He had termed the police action as "wrong" and "vengeful".

Talking to PTI on Friday, Kesarkar, who was Minister of State for Home in the previous Devendra Fadnavis government, said, "A judicial commission is probing the Koregaon Bhima violence case. All the evidence against the activists in the Elgar Parishad case has already been submitted to the court."

The state government had set up the judicial commission under former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, JN Patel, to inquire into the violence that took place during the 200th commemoration of the battle of Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 2018.

"The judicial commission can check if the evidence submitted to the court is correct or not," Kesarkar said.

According to Pune police, the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, was supported by Maoists and inflammatory speeches made at the event led to caste violence at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial in the district the next day.

The Left-leaning activists arrested during the probe had links with Maoists, the Pune police had claimed. They had booked the activists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The Pune Police had arrested nine activists — Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao — in connection with Elgar Parishad case.