Maharashtra: Protest rallies across state to mark Govind Pansare's death anniversary on Monday

Mumbai : The Communist Party of India (CPI) will lead a protest on Monday to mark the death anniversary of its Govind Pansare who was killed eight years ago in Kolhapur.

The protest rallies that are organised across Maharashtra will also take up cases of Narendra Dabholkar, Gauri Lankesh and M M Kalbugari. In the city, the rally will be held at the suburban collector's office. 

Pansare was shot dead

Pansare who was a member of the Communist Party of India was shot on a morning walk. He died a few days later. "We are organising the protest to demand justice for Comrade Pansare. A protest march is being organised across Maharashtra. It is being organised in Kolhapur too," said Milind Ranade, Mumbai secretary of the CPI. 

Case transferred to ATS

The government had recently transferred the case of Pansare to the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS). "In the case of comrade Pansare's murder, even the trial has not begun. The Maharashtra police transferred the case to ATS recently. In other murders the trial has begun but not in his case. Transferring of the case has not brought out any new development. We hope that the investigations are carried out and trial begins soon," said Mukta Dabholkar, daughter of Narendra Dabholkar who is likely to join the protest. 

She added, "Carrying out investigations and beginning the trial is one thing and reaching the mastermind another. We hope that in all the cases the mastermind is caught." 

"Those who have murdered these people have Sanatani ideology and they continue to be in the society and terrorise people. The government of the day is shielding them. Even though we are organising the rally, we ask people from other organisations to join and seek justice. Our 'Jawab Do' protestsseek answers from those in power why the guilty have not been punished as yet," said Ranade.