Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. (File)
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday gave a clean chit to Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide in the Koregaon Bhima violence that led to clashes between Dalits and Marathas on January 1.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “There is not a single document or evidence to substantiate the role of Sambhaji Bhide in the Bhima Koregaon incident.”
Investigation into all aspects including his call records for the last six months have not yielded any sign of his covert or overt role in the Koregaon Bhima violence, he said.
While asserting that his government would not spare anybody found guilty in the Koregaon Bhima incident, the chief minister said, “To ascertain the truth, call records of Bhide for last six months were checked along with his locations and movements. Even his close associates’ movements and acts were probed to find if there was any link to the Bhima Koregaon violence.”
Read | Koregaon-Bhima violence: Fadnavis vows ‘stern action against those found guilty’
However, all the documents showed Bhide had no role in the incident, he said. Yet, the state government has kept the investigation open. Any information or evidences that emerge would be probed, he assured.
Fadnavis gave details of the Koregaon Bhima incident in the Legislature Assembly on Tuesday. Giving a stern message about his government’s no tolerance to any violence or communal clashes, the chief minister said, “Anybody found guilty would be punished. Even if it is a member of my own family.”
The arrest of another right wing leader Milind Ekbote earlier for his role in Koregaon Bhima violence was the state government’s initiative, he asserted.
Read | 20,000 Dalits gather at Azad Maidan, demand Sambhaji Bhide’s arrest
He said, “After investigation by the state police, the administration ensured that Ekbote did not get interim bail from the sessions and high courts.” Even when he appealed in the Supreme Court and got anticipatory bail, the state government sought the help of the Attorney General of India to get his custodial interrogation. Therefore, there was no question of the government letting off any one, he said.
While giving details on how the violence took place, the chief minister said, “The government had deployed adequate police force led by a team of top police officers and special riot control squads at the venue.”
On the alleged eyewitness account of a woman who had named Sambhaji Bhide, the chief minister said, “The woman had revealed during the investigation that she had cited the name of Bhide based on hearsay and had never met or seen him at Koregaon Bhima.”
Fadnavis said, “Prakash Ambedkar has furnished me with some Facebook posts saying it would serve as evidence against Bhide. I have assured it would be investigated within seven days.” On Monday, Dalit leader Ambedkar, who is the Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh president, had met the chief minister after the ‘Elgar Rally’ held in Mumbai to demand the arrest of Sambhaji Bhide.
On January 1, 2018 lakhs of Dalits had assembled to celebrate the 200th anniversay of battle of Bhima Koregaon. Denying intelligence failure or lack of policing, the chief minister said, “The government had expected a large turnout and had made preparations accordingly.” The Dalits who walked to the “victory pillar” were provided a dedicated lane, and the police were deployed along the route.
However, a group of people raised slogans of Jai Shivaji. This invited counter slogans from the Dalits, which led to friction, he said.
A group started vandalising vehicles in the adjoining parking lots where police were in lesser numbers compared to other locations. There was stone pelting from both the sides.
The Koregaon Bhima incident has been captured on CCTVs and videos which police have procured. Around 1,199 persons have been arrested. The damage was to the tune of Rs 13.80 crore. The anti-atrocities act was slapped against 17 persons and various sections of criminal offenses in 622 cases.