Punyeshwar Temple Row: Milind Ekbote Booked For Provocative Speeches In Front Of PMC

The Shivajinagar police have filed a case against Milind Ekbote, the President of Samasta Hindu Aghadi, and several others for delivering illegal and provocative speeches in front of the Pune Municipal Corporation during a rally in early September, an official said on Monday.

The case revolves around a dispute concerning a place of worship near the Punyeshwar temple area in Kasba Peth. An official stated, "Permission to protest near the entrance of the main Pune Municipal Corporation building was denied, but Milind Ekbote, along with Kunal Someshwar Kamble, Kiran Chandrakant Shinde, and Vishal Dilip Pawar, gathered a crowd in front of the entrance and made speeches that exacerbated communal tensions."

Speeches had potential to escalate conflicts between different communities

Assistant Police Inspector Bholenath Ahiwale, who is leading the investigation, explained, "The charges against the accused include sections 141, 142, 143, 153, 109, and 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The police initiated the case based on a detailed report provided by city police officials following an initial investigation."

The speeches made by the organisers were viewed as promoting hatred with the potential to escalate conflicts between different communities.

Besides Milind Ekbote, the three others booked in this case are Kunal Someshwar Kamble, the President of Punyeshwar Punarnirman Samiti, Kiran Chandrakant Shinde, and Vishal Dilip Pawar. Additionally, unidentified participants of the rally have also been booked. Earlier, several activists from the city had filed a complaint with the police, urging them to take action against Ekbote and others involved.