I. <<This is not the first time Sambhaji Bhide, 85, better known as Bhide Guruji, and Milind Ekbote, 56, have stirred the 'us vs them' pot. In 2008, Bhide was in national spotlight when his followers ransacked movie halls protesting against the release of movie Jodha-Akbar. In 2009, he brought his hometown Sangli to a standstill when a Ganesh pandal was denied permission to put up an artiste's impression of the assassination of Adil Shah's army commander Afjal Khan by Shivaji Maharaj.
Ekbote has 12 cases of rioting, trespassing, criminal intimidation, and attempts to spread enmity between two communities against him. He has been convicted in five of these cases. During his first term as a BJP corporator in Pune between 1997 and 2002, he had come to fisticuffs with a Muslim corporator over the construction of Haj house. This time, Bhide and Ekbote have ranged the Hindutva forces against the Dalits in the state. They achieved this by desecrating the samadhi of a Mahar named Govind Gaikwad who is credited with performing Shivaji Maharaj's son Sambhajiraje Bhosale's funeral when nobody else would touch the body as it could have invited the Mughals' wrath.>> (Source: < https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cover-story/the-two-who-brought-your-city-to-a-halt/articleshow/62344275.cms >.) II. Two Hindutva leaders booked on charges of ‘orchestrating violence’ in Pune The FIR was registered at Pimpri police station against Bhide, Ekbote and their supporters, and was later sent to Pune Rural Police, which has Koregaon Bhima under its jurisdiction. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/two-hindutva-leaders-booked-on-charges-of-orchestrating-violence-in-pune-5009379/ III. <<CM fails to pacify Dalit leaders with judicial probe Police said 25 vehicles were torched by members of right-wing groups opposed to the gathering. They also damaged 50 vehicles by pelting stones. A 28-year-old youth died following the clash. CM Devendra Fadnavis ordered a judicial inquiry into the Koregaon Bhima violence, but his announcement failed to pacify Dalit leaders, with Prakash Ambedkar calling for a Maharashtra bandh on Wednesday. The CM also ordered a CID probe into the death of the Pune youth and compensation of Rs10 lakh for his family. The Shiv Sena, known for enforcing bandhs in Mumbai, had not issued a counter call . Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted that BJP’s “fascist vision” was to blame for increasing incidents of violence against Dalits. Rahul hailed Tuesday’s protests as “potent symbols” of Dalit resistance against the Modi government’s “anti-Dalit” policy. NCP chief Sharad Pawar blamed the state government for inept handling of the situation in Koregaon Bhima. Though sections of the media reported the Koregaon clash was between Marathas and Dalits, Ambedkar said that was not the case and blamed Hindutva groups with a Brahminical bias. He said the judicial probe was not acceptable and demanded it be conducted by a non-Dalit judge. He blamed Sambhaji Bhide of Shivraj Pratishthan and Milind Ekbote of Samasta Hindu Ekta Sabha for inciting Monday’s violence. Ekbote and Bhide were booked on Tuesday for attempt to murder under the IPC and and under the Arms Act and Atrocities Act. Pune city police transferred the case to rural police at Shikrapur. Rajendra Kondhare of the Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh, said, “Maratha groups had supported the commemoration. Sambhaji Brigade was active in facilitating the event. Some people are trying to confuse issues by mixing two matters. There was a dispute over a board near Sambhaji Maharaj’s samadhi at Wadhu. But there was a compromise between Marathas and Dalits and the matter was settled much before the Koregaon Bhima event.” Union home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Fadnavis. BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday targeted the BJP and RSS over the violence in Maharashtra.>> (Source: <http://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/#>.) IV. Maharashtra caste clashes: Several schools and colleges shut in Mumbai https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtra-caste-clash-protesters-block-mumbais-harbour-line/articleshow/62335957.cms -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
