Pune District Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) staged protest in Pune on Tuesday against Hindutva activist Sambhaji Bhide for his alleged objectionable remarks about Mahatma Gandhi and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
Along with NCP, Congress City Unit also demonstrated against the rigt-wing activist. Under the leadership of Congress' Vishwajeet Kadam and in the presence of all prominent Congress leaders from Pune city, the protesters demanded that a case be registered against Bhide and he be arrested for his alleged role in promoting division and animosity.
Bhide, the founder of the Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan outfit, is accused of making offensive remarks about the Father of the Nation in his speech during a programme at Bharat Mangal Hall in Badnera Road area in Amravati district on Thursday. The Rajapeth police in Amravati booked Bhide under Indian Penal Code section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), an official said.
Former Maharashtra minister Vishwajitji Kadam, Kasba MLA Ravindra Dhangekar, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President Mohan Joshi, Pune City District Congress Committee President Arvind Shinde, former mayor and Congress leader Kamal Vyavahare, along with Secretary of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, Sonali Marne, participated in the protest to demand the arrest of Bhide for making insulting statements about Mahatma Gandhi and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
The protest witnessed a significant turnout, with notable figures like Hanumant Pawar, spokesperson of the Congress Committee, Pune City Youth Congress President Rahul Shirsat, Youth Congress General Secretary Akshay Jain, Secretary Rohit Bahirat, NSUI Pune District President Bhushan Ranbhire, and several Pune City Youth Congress officials and activists in attendance.
Through this demonstration, the NCP and Congress voiced their disapproval of Sambhaji Bhide's alleged remarks, demanding accountability and seeking appropriate action against those who make derogatory statements about esteemed national figures.
