Amravati violence: Maharashtra ex-minister Anil Bonde, 13 others arrested, let off on bail

AMRAVATI: Former Maharashtra agriculture minister Dr Anil Bonde of BJP, party’s district chief Nivedita Chaudhary, mayor Chetan Gawande and state spokesperson Shivrai Kulkarni were among 14 arrested on Monday in connection with the violence during the November 12-13 bandh in the city.

All of them were later released on bail.
Police have so far booked 14,673 people in connection with the November 12 rally by Raza Academy to protest alleged atrocities against Muslims in Tripura and the violence that erupted the following day during the bandh called by BJP and other organizations.
Sources said Raza Academy had not sought permission to take out the protest march to the collectorate on November 12.
While 8,364 people have been booked and nine of them arrested for the violence caused during Raza Academy's march, police have booked 6,309 and arrested 53 of them for causing damage to government and private property during the retaliatory bandh on November 13.
A press release by police commissionerate said nine cops, including an officer, were injured in stone-pelting by purported members of the BJP and other organizations.
The release said squads have been formed to arrest those booked.
Dr Bonde, who was detained at Nandgaon Khandeshwar on Sunday and released later, was arrested from his residence on Monday morning, while other BJP leaders including Chaudhary, Gawande, Kulkarni, AMC House leader Tushar Bharatiya, AMC’s former standing committee chairperson Radha Kuril, corporators Surekha Lungare and Ajay Samdekar, ex-corporator Sanjay Agrawal, party office-bearers Gajanan Deshmukh and Mangesh Khode, VHP’s Santosh Gaharwar and Nilesh Marodkar surrendered before the police in the day.
Though police were also on the lookout of MLC Pravin Pote, he has reportedly escaped to Mumbai, it is learnt.
Police said property worth Rs 5.15 lakh was damaged during the violence on November 12.
Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed for two hours between 2pm and 4pm on Monday, but citizens could not avail of this relaxation as no attempt was made by the administration to convey this to them.
Internet services continued to be snapped for the second day on Monday.
Amravati CP Aarti Singh told TOI that the situation was being reviewed and final call on the curfew would be taken only after instructions from the home ministry.
According to police, on November 12, Raza Academy and several other Muslim organizations in Amravati had submitted a memorandum to the collector against violence in Tripura last month.
BJP, VHP, Bajrang Dal and other right-wing organizations had called for a bandh the next day and gathered at Rajkamal Chowk for the protest. Later, a mob went on a rampage in nearby Muslim-dominated areas like Itwara Bazaar and Namuna, pelting stones on shops and damaging properties.
Following this, police had resorted to lathi-charge and firing teargas shells to disperse the protesters. Later, the police had imposed Section 144 in the city for four days.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said in Mumbai he will visit violence-hit Amaravati on November 17.
BJP MLA Nitesh Rane alleged that Raza Academy was behind the violence in different parts of the state.
He alleged, “Raza Academy is a terrorist organization and its founders stay in Afghanistan and follow Taliban ideology. They don’t do any social work and had also opposed revocation of triple talaq.”
Rane said, “The state government should arrest all senior leaders of Raza Academy. If any violence happens against Hindus, we will not tolerate.”
“Raza Academy had organized a march on November 12 against Tripura violence. I have the pamphlets that they had distributed. I challenge the Academy to show evidence of Hindus burning down masjid in Tripura. Burning of masjid by Hindus was fake news.”