Koregaon-Bhima Violence: Ambedkar Asks Commission to Summon Maharashtra Dy CM Fadnavis

Bahujan Vikas Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar has demanded that the commission which is conducting an inquiry into the January 2018 Koregaon-Bhima violence summon Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

He wanted to cross-examine Fadnavis who was then chief minister of the state, Ambedkar wrote in a letter to the panel last week.

He also sought to summon then additional chief secretary Sumit Mullick and then Pune superintendent of police Suvez Haque.

“Before asking me to depose, I would like to cross-examine then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, then additional chief Secretary Sumit Mullick and Pune SP Suvez Haque. Request the commission to arrange accordingly,” Ambedkar said in the letter.

The commission had called Ambedkar for deposition on June 5, but he informed in the letter that he would not be in Mumbai on that date because of pre-scheduled programs, but would be available on June 14 and 15.

Mullick is now the sole member of the commission which is headed by Justice (retd) J N Patel.

Violence broke out near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district during the bicentennial anniversary celebration on January 1, 2018, of an 1818 battle in which the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa of Pune.

Sections of the Dalit community celebrate the battle as the East India Company’s troops included soldiers from the Mahar community. A few right-wing organisations opposed the celebration in 2018.

Meanwhile, asked by reporters in Nagpur about Ambedkar’s demand, Dalit leader and Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said the commission has the prerogative to decide who should be summoned.

Fadnavis, as chief minister, had worked to maintain peace during the violence and he would certainly appear before the commission if summoned, the Republican Party of India leader added.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)