Four Bajrang Dal members arrested for violence, riots

Pune: Four Bajrang Dal members have been arrested and 50 others booked for beating activists who were distributing comrade Govind Pansare’s book “Shivaji Kon Hota” at a school in Pune.

The members threatened the activists saying that like the author of the book had been murdered, the activists would be murdered too.  

The activists beat up Sharad Pokharkar, org-aniser and coordinator of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, Sambhaji Brig-ade; and his colleagues, Ganesh Bangar and Amol Shelar.

Mr Pokharkar said, “We decided to distribute copies of the book ‘Shivaji Kon Hota’ at Bhairavnath Vidyalaya,  on February 17. Howe-ver, the principal of the school was warned not to hold the programme.

On February 18, I received a call from an anonymous caller who wanted to meet me so I invited him to my home. The caller and Rohit Dhumane visited me the same day and started asking why I had distributed the book, before I could explain, they started beating me and my friends. Later, they took me outside where over 50 Bajrang Dal members beat us. They said that the author of the book had been killed and they would kill me too.”

Bandopant Ghatage, police inspector, Manc-har, Pune rural police, said, “We have booked over 50 unknown people and four known members of Bajarang Dal after a FIR by Mr Pokharkar.