By Nadeem Inamdar
The Kolhapur police on Monday lodged a case against over 500 persons including former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Bhosale in connection with disruptions during the call to free historic Vishalgad fort from encroachment in Kolhapur district a day before.
The violence erupted after Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje took an aggressive stand seeking the removal of all encroachments at Vishalgad Fort. Besides Bhosale, various right-wing groups had also given a call to reach the fort to remove the encroachment which led up to the fort area. The police have detained 21 persons and also booked Ravindra Padwal and Banda Salokhe in connection with the vandalism and violence.
Ahead of Sambhajiraje’s arrival at the fort around 9.40 am on Sunday, incidents of stone pelting and arson on some structures were reported. The incident prompted Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to hold an emergency meeting with the police chief and district collector during his visit to Kolhapur. During the meeting, Shinde asked the administration to ensure peace with anti-encroachment action.
Following the incident, Kolhapur Lok Sabha MP and Sambhajiraje’s father Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj on Monday condemned the incident and blamed the administration for failure to handle it.
“We condemn the violence committed on the occasion of removing the encroachment on Vishalgad Fort after Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje’s call. It is extremely painful and distressing to witness such an incident in Kolhapur district, which holds the legacy of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj deeply,” Shahu Maharaj said
According to Shahu Maharaj, before the incident, he had instructed the Collector and the SP to facilitate a meeting between former MP Sambhaji Raje and the chief minister for discussion. “However, these instructions were not heeded, leading to what he described as an administrative failure.”
Despite heavy rains, many activists turned out at the foothills for the anti-encroachment drive. Kolhapur SP Mahendra Pandit said that the FIR was lodged late on Sunday and more suspects were being identified for arson and violence. According to the police, many individuals had reached the spot two days in advance of the anti-encroachment drive. Hindutva groups have been demanding encroachments removal for the past many years and the matter has reached the court.
Earlier, the local administration had started encroachment removal which was challenged in the court which granted a stay on the action. The former parliamentarian staged a march to the fort but before he could start his journey, a group of Hindutva activists allegedly attacked residents of Gajapur villages, vandalised a religious structure and charged at the policemen. The violence left six civilians and twelve policemen injured while houses were set on fire and around eight to ten cars and over two dozen two-wheelers were damaged by the the protestors, police said.
Reacting to the development, SP Pandit said, “The anti-encroachment drive is stayed in the court and no permission was given for any gathering. We have lodged a case against those who engaged in violence and ransacked a religious structure, set houses on fire, and damaged two and four-wheelers and shops. We are assessing the damage and trying to find more suspects based on social media reels and videos captured by the policemen.”
He further explained that adequate bandobast was in place but still, some anti-social elements resorted to violence.
“Panchnama is being conducted with the help of the revenue department by the administration. More offences are being registered and two additional SRPF teams have been sought. We have put in place security arrangements across the district to prevent an aftereffect of the violence. The culprits have been identified and very strict action is being taken,” he said.
Commenting on the turn of events, Bhosale said, “The encroachments in the Vishalgad Fort have become dens of vice, game of cards and other illegal activities. Shivbhaksts were upset over the illegal happenings, and I was involved in the struggle to bring about encroachment removal at the historic fort.”
This story was originally published in hindustantimes.com.
