Prakash Ambedkar warns agitation if Bhide, Ekbote not booked

Nagpur: Prominent Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar has threatened to stage a fresh agitation across the state if the government doesn’t immediately arrest right wing leaders Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote, who allegedly instigated the Bhima-Koregaon violence in Pune. Mr Ambedkar has raised doubts over the intentions of the state, which failed to start a proper probe even after 15 days since the incident. He was speaking at Nagpur.

Mr Ambedkar has flatly denied that Maoists and Left extremists were involved in the incident and said it was a social upheaval that had nothing to do with politics.

Mr Ambedkar said, “The very idea with which we organised the Elgar Parishad and the mass visit to the war memorial was to build social bridges and restore communication between the communities. However, Hindutva elements gave it a communal twist by attacking the Dalit activists at the event.”

“By not arresting Bhide and Ekbote, who are facing serious charged, the state is only encouraging these unscrutinised leaders. I am restraining the angry people but if the government fails to act now, it will have to pay a heavy price,” he warned.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on January 1 had announced that an enquiry by a retired high court judge would be undertaken. Mr Ambedkar pointed out that till date, no such enquiry has been set up though the CM has met with the chief justice of high court in this regard. He said the delay in setting up enquiry and failure of the police to arrest the two leaders against whom FIR was lodged, shows that government is backing them.