Parbhani: Ramdas Athawale Demands CID Probe Into Salve Murder Case

Parbhani: Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale has demanded a CID inquiry into the murder of Santosh Salve in Gaur village of Purna taluka. Speaking to reporters at the government rest house on Wednesday, Athawale said he would take up the demand with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and assured the Salve family of justice.

Athawale said Santosh Salve, a young activist from Gaur, was allegedly murdered after being rammed by a four-wheeler as part of a conspiracy. “We demand a CID investigation into the matter,” he said.

He said Parbhani district is a stronghold of the Ambedkarite movement and recalled the participation of Bhim Sainiks from the district in the struggle to rename Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University.

Athawale said relations between backward classes and upper castes in the district were cordial, but alleged that the level of injustice and atrocities had increased in certain areas.

On the Maratha reservation issue, Athawale said reservation for the Maratha community was its primary demand and claimed that, based on records, the community should be granted reservation under the OBC category. He said reservation had already been implemented for sections of society with an annual income of less than ₹8 lakh.

He said it was inappropriate for Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil to demand OBC certificates for the entire Maratha community.

Athawale also said all Scheduled Caste communities should receive the benefits of reservation. He stressed the need to ensure that the Buddhist community did not face injustice through the process of reservation categorisation.

RPI national vice-president Dr Siddharth Bhalerao, state secretary D N Dabhade, district president Dr Vijay Gaikwad and others were present.