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investigation

ever, Bhide and Ekbote’s were involved were incarcerated. They were booked BG Kolse Patil,
in triggering Bhima Koregaon violence for “provocative speeches” made at the Judge (Retd)
as there is no dearth of evidence against Elgaar Parishad along with “related ob-
them, said Kolse Patil, former justice of jectionable programmes” that allegedly According to us,
Mumbai High Court and Elgaar Pari- fanned violence according to police. police have no
shad’s organiser. There was a probe Castigating Elgar Parishad for divisive evidence against
Commission led by BJP member who tendency, the police informed the court Elgaar Parishad. The real culprits
in his report mentioned Bhide as the that the organisation has put the ‘unity are being set free and their
accused. The DIG report also stated the and integrity’ of India at stake. Even cases have been withdrawn. Only
same. Patil further said that linking El- the public prosecutor claimed that this political opponents and thinkers
gaar Parishad with violence is a sheer conspiracy extends to an assassina- have been put in jail. If you see an
conspiracy. People who gathered at tion plot targeting PM Narendra Modi. earlier police report, it states that
Elgaar Parishad meet were Ambedka- Meanwhile, the Dalit activists blamed the riots were linked to incite-
rites. And at Bhima Koregaon Ambed- the cops for gagging freedom of speech. ment by Hindutva activist Milind
karites were targeted. How could any Rued over the alleged ‘police-high- Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide.
Ambedkarite group target Ambedkar There is absolutely no connec-
followers. tion between Elgaar Parishad
Around three months after the Bhi- The Supreme Court and maoist at all. A police officer
ma Koregaon violence, in April 2018, has refused to quash had said in a press conference
the Pune (Urban) police have come that they didn’t find a connection
out with a ‘Maoist angle’ and conduct- Pune Police’s FIR between Elgar Parishad either
ed nation-wide raids targeting Pune, against civil rights with Bhima Koregaon violence
Mumbai and Delhi. In this connection or Maoist.
five arrests were made on June 6: Dalit activist Anand
activist Sudhir Dhawale, lawyer Suren-
dra Gadling, activist Rona Wilson, activ- Teltumbde for his handedness’ they say that the dragging
ist Mahesh Raut and former professor alleged involvement of the Elgaar Parishad issue was pre-
Shoma Sen. Later in September, poet meditated to shift focus from the vio-
P Varavara Rao, activists Vernon Gon- in the Bhima lence at Bhima Koregaon, which had in-
salves, Arun Ferreira, and trade union Koregaon violence in censed Dalit community in the country.
leader and civil rights advocate Sudha
Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha, January last year letters@tehelka.com

Probe continues The apex court has refused
to interfere with the ongoing investigation into
Bhima Koregaon case