Narendra Dabholkar murder case: Sanatan Sanstha marches carrying pictures of murder accused

“It is completely shocking that they (Sanatan) can carry out such acts in broad daylight once again… We want to know from the police whether carrying pictures of people facing serious offences is allowed, whether they support this kind of public show of support for those under arrest,” asked Hamid Dabholkar, son of the slain anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.

“We don’t know what the government headed by Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state’s Home Minister, has to say on this. Is such glorification of people involved in criminal and terror acts allowed? Is the CM in favour of such acts in Maharashtra… the CM should tell the people of the state, his government should clarify its stand,” he said.

Hamid said they took out a padyatra from the same spot on the Vithal Ramji Shinde bridge where his father was shot on August 20, 2013. “The rally ended at Sanaji Guruji Samarak. After our rally ended, they (Sanatan) took out a protest march apparently on the same route,” he said. The rally by the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti was attended by over a thousand people, which included prominent personalities like Prakash Ambedkar, Baba Adhav, Vidya Bal, Bhai Vaidya, Shamsuddin Tamboli, Manisha Gupte, Ashok Dhivre, Nagraj Manjule and Subhash Ware.

Anadhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti earlier in the day took the same route as the Sanathan Sanstha. (Source: Pavan Khengre)

The Sanatan Sanstha said they had done nothing wrong. “Our objective was to protest against the wrongful arrests of individuals… Even after 72 days, the CBI has not been able to produce even any evidence against Dr Virendra Tawde arrested in connection with Dabholkar’s murder case… Similarly, no trial has been conducted despite charge sheet having being filed against Sameer Gaikwad in the Govind Pansare murder case in Kolhapur. The Pansare family has succeeded in getting the trial postponed by raising various demands,” said Abhay Vartak, spokesperson for Sanatan Sanstha.

He said that in the Sadhvi Pragya Singh case too, the National Investigation Agency had given her a clean chit. “Yet, she is not being released from the jail… we want to know why ? That’s why we were protesting,” he said. On carrying pictures of Lt Col Shrikant Purohit, accused in the Malegaon blast case, and Dhananjay Desai, accused in the murder case of techie Mohsin Shaikh, Vartak said they too were framed for acts which they never committed. “Hence, we were protesting seeking justice for them,” he said.

Vartak, however, denied they carried out their protest march on the same route on which ANS took out its rally. “But some routes could have been similar given the same area in which the marches were taken out,” he said. Vartak said the anti-superstition activists have been demanding a ban on Sanatan Sanstha and Sanstha now wants a ban on the Andhshradha Nirmoolan Samiti and the Privartan Trust. “These organisations have foreign funding. That’s why the government should investigate their acts and initiate appropriate action like imposing a ban on them,” Vartak said.

Maruti Bhapkar of Swaraj Abhiyan said,”It is a highly condemnable act. What is more shocking is that the police have remained spectators and not initiated any action.” Activist Manav Kamble said, “It speaks poorly of the Pune police. How can they permit such acts?.” When contacted, Joint Commissioner of Police Sunil Ramanand said,”We are examining the legality in the matter and will take appropriate action.”

State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said,”The Congress has been against such kind of tendencies…We have been demanding a ban on such organisations, but the present state government seems to be in support of such organisations and their acts which go against the law of the land.” Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said, “Till a person is found guilty, he is innocent. Therefore, a protest march can be taken out in their support, but it was not an appropriate act to do so on the same day on which Dabholkar was killed.”