Violence in Maharashtra as Dalits protest death of 28-year-old in Bhima Koregaon clashes, bandh called in state

Violence roiled Maharashtra on Tuesday as angry Dalit groups burnt vehicles, blocked railway tracks and pelted stones to protest the death of a 28-year-old man near the bicentennial celebrations of a British-era war in Pune district.

Protesters damaged at least 20 government buses near Chembur in Mumbai, blocked roads and halted services on the city’s harbour railway line for about 15 minutes, police said. In Thane, hundreds of protesters sat on the roads, forced shops to down shutters and smashed seven state-owned buses. Reports of violence and stone pelting were also reported from Pune and Solapur with police blaming workers from the Republican Party of India (RPI).

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis called for a judicial probe into the death of Rahul Phatangale, who succumbed to his injuries on Monday evening after being hit with stones during violence near Bhima Koregaon, around 40 kilometres from Pune. Four people were injured in the violence and around 40 vehicles burnt or damaged.

“A sitting high court judge will head the inquiry,” Fadnavis told reporters and announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to his family.

Hundreds of thousands of people gather at Bhima Koregaon every year to mark the anniversary of an 1818 war between the British and the Peshwa. Many Dalit leaders believe the war was won by the British with the help of Dalit soldiers in the regiment, who defeated a large army of the Peshwa, who were said to have instituted oppressive caste practices.

The celebrations gathered momentum in 1927 after BR Ambedkar visited the spot and called the Bhima Koregaon battle a war against caste. Historians are divided on the subject. But this year, the celebrations have been controversial with several right wing groups, such as the Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Mahasangh, calling the event anti-national.

The protests also took a political colour with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar blaming the government for not preventing Monday’s violence near Bhima Koregaon. But the chief minister defended the administration and said six companies of police were deployed with the roughly 300,000 people expected at the venue.

“However, it seems there were some organisations who wanted riots to break out. There was stone pelting, violence and arson but the police exercised great restraint to prevent the situation from going out of control,” Fadnavis told the media and appealed for calm. “Strict action would be taken against those who use social media to spread rumours,” he added.

But that appeared to not have impressed many with Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar blaming the police for lax arrangements and called for a statewide bandh.

In Mumbai, protests broke out in Ghatkopar, Chembur, Powai and Mulund. Angry men damaged a bus near Chembur golf course, blocked roads at PL Lokhande Marg and Amar Mahal junction in Chembur and in Adarsh Nagar at Govandi, while RPI blocked a local train at 11.45am for around 25 minutes.

“Some RPI workers refused to move off the tracks. Services resumed only after they left,” said an official from the railway protection Force, who did not wish to be named. The agitation also led to traffic snarls on the Eastern Express Highway at Ghatkopar.

“Don’t believe in rumours. Traffic on the Eastern Express Highway was affected due to the protests, but it’s moving now. Traffic at Chembur Naka is still affected,” the Mumbai Police handle tweeted at 1.46pm. “There is nothing to panic. Verify facts with police officers and men before posting anything on social media.”

Police also said that the situation was under control and that shops weren’t forcibly shut in Mulund. “People who took part in the agitation requested shopkeepers to close their shops,” said Shripad Kale, senior police inspector, Mulund police station.

In Pune, incidents of stone-pelting were reported from various parts of Pimpri. “Around 40-50 members of the Bhim Sena gathered at Vishrantwadi police station demanding action against perpetrators of Monday’s violence,” said Sangeeta Patil, senior police inspector. Protesters pelted stones on state transport buses around 11:30 am and blocked traffic for several hours.

In Thane, police said shops were shut and stone pelting were reported from several parts of the city. “The Bhima Koregaon incident took place due to inefficiency of the police department. We have demanded that the police commissioner and the deputy commissioner there should be suspended,” said Rambhau Tayade, president of RPI, Thane city.

(With agency inputs)