Sharad Pawar saved Ekbote in 2001: Prakash Ambedkar

Mumbai: Republican Party leader Prakash Ambedkar has alleged that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had allegedly saved Milind Ekbote in 2001. Ekbote is an accused in the January 1 violence, which took place at Bhima Koregaon in Pune district. Mr Ambedkar has presented papers, which claimed that the police was prepared to ban Dharmavir Sambhaji Pratisthan, an organisation led by Mr Ekbote in 2001. However, the then home minister of Maharashtra, Chhagan Bhujbal, had allegedly not signed the papers, helping Mr Ekbote stay out of the law’s reach. The NCP has denied his allegations.

“After the 2001 Hindu-Muslim riots in Pune, the police had prepared a note to ban two organisations. One was SIMI (Student Islamic Movement of India) and the other was Dharmaveer Sambhaji Prathisthan of Milind Ekbote. There was an internal proposal of banning his organisation and declaring Mr Ekbote a ‘dangerous’ person. But Sharad Pawar intervened and asked the then home minister not to clear the proposal,” Mr Ambedkar said. On being asked for documentary proof of  the home minister asking the police not to move ahead with the ban proposal, Mr Ambedkar said, “Yes.”

Meanwhile, the NCP has said that the allegations were baseless. “Prakash Ambedkar does have the right to choose an ally of his own choice. But his allegations against Mr Pawar are vague. Pawar saheb never interferes in minister’s work. Had he done so then Balasaheb Thackeray’s arrest wouldn’t have taken place. And the period to which Mr Ambedkar is referring, it seems that he has forgotten most important thing. His party was part of the Maharashtra government at that time. Why did his ministers keep quiet and not utter a word then?” asked Mr Nawab Malik, NCP spokesperson.  

In 2001, Maharashtra had Congress and NCP’s alliance government. Vilasrao Deshmukh of Congress was chief minister while NCP’s Chhagan Bhujbal was deputy chief minister as well as home minister.

On asked whether he wants to say that Mr Bhujbal was involved in stopping the ban, he said, “I don’t know that. But Sharad Pawar was the man behind saving Milind Ekbote.”  Mr Ambedkar has also declared the decision of not aligning with Nationalist Congress Party for anything. “The question does not arise to sit with those who are supporting such Hindutva vadi elements,” said Mr Ambedkar. He also made it cleared that if the NCP becomes a part of the Congress-led pre-poll alliance, his party won’’ join that front. “We are already in talks with Left parties for electoral alliance,” he said.

Mr Ambedkar addressed his party workers in Dadar on Sunday where he appealed to them to start preparing for elections.