As in previous years, lakhs of people gathered at the Jaystambh in Perne village at Bhima Koregaon in Pune district on Thursday to pay tribute on the 208th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon.
The Jaystambh, which was erected in 1821, commemorates the historic battle that saw the defeat of Peshwa Bajirao II by the British Army, mainly composed of Dalit Mahars.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar and many other leaders paid tributes at the Jaystambh.
Elaborate security arrangements were made around the memorial, located on the Pune-Ahilyanagar road.
15 Injured as tempo overturns
A pickup tempo carrying followers to Bhima Koregaon for the tribute ceremony overturned near the Raven Cable Company near Alandi while travelling toward Perne Phata via Markal. The incident occurred in the wee hours of Thursday. Approximately 15 people, including women, children, and men, were injured in the accident.
The injured have been identified as Pratik Bagare, Vachhala Waghmare, Shalini Kamble, Raosaheb Gawande, Ramabai Chawre, Pooja Lavande, Dilip Kamble, Dinesh Kamble, Alka Kamble, Anil Gund, Prashant Pawar, Prabhakar Sonule, Pragya Sonule, Prem Kamble, and Digambar Waghmare. All the injured are residents of Kuruli village.
They were traveling in a tempo with registration number MH 14 LB 3097 to pay their respects at the Jaystambh. As they were heading towards Perne Phata via the Markal route, the driver lost control of the vehicle near the Raven Cable Company near Alandi, causing the pickup to overturn. 15 passengers inside the tempo sustained serious injuries.
Immediately after the accident, local citizens began rescue operations and admitted the injured to a private hospital for treatment. Upon receiving news of the accident, relevant authorities rushed to the spot. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported, although it is feared that the condition of some of the injured remains critical.
NCP in talks with Shiv Sena
Speaking to the reporters after paying tribute at the Jaystambh, Ajit Pawar said that his NCP is in talks with the Shiv Sena, led by his peer Eknath Shinde, over seat sharing for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls.
He added that the picture will be clearer after the scrutiny of nomination papers and withdrawals by candidates.
Earlier, the party had said that it had tied up with Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) for the two municipal corporations.
Asked about tickets given to some candidates with criminal backgrounds, Pawar said they had stitched up an alliance with RPI (Sachin Kharat faction), and it was their call to nominate candidates as per their choice.
"We have already forged an alliance with RPI (Sachin Kharat faction). We are contesting in alliance with NCP (SP) in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. We are also having talks with Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant. Possibly, we will come to an understanding over some seats with Shiv Sena for these civic bodies," he said.
