No fresh incidents of violence in Parbhani, 8 FIRs so far: police

According to police, 10 personnel sustained injuries and were admitted to the hospital. Further, the medical condition of Sopan Pawar, who allegedly vandalised the replica of the Constitution, worsened and was referred to another hospital, police said .

Of the 50 persons arrested by the police, barring six minors and two others who are admitted in hospital due to injuries, others were produced before the court and were remanded to police custody for two days.

Meanwhile, the police denied allegations of carrying out combing operations in areas dominated by Dalits.

Inspector General (Nanded range) Shahaji Umap said that no violence has been reported ever since the crowds indulged in stone pelting outside the collector’s office on Wednesday morning.

“Prohibitory orders continue in areas that saw violence. No new incidents of violence have been reported. In all we have registered eight FIRs in the matter. As many as 10 police personnel including a Deputy Superintendent rank official sustained injuries in the violence,” Umap told The Indian Express.

A day after a glass-encased cement replica of the Constitution at the base of the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar outside Parbhani railway station was vandalised, violent protests broke out in the district leading to clamping of prohibitory orders by the administration.

The local residents beat up Sopan Pawar and handed him over to the police.

Police registered an FIR against Pawar and said that he was suffering from mental ailments and that they found prescriptions from two separate doctors regarding his mental condition.

An officer said that the doctors diagnosed him as being suicidal and an alcohol addict as well.

Ambedkarite activists alleged that the police was trying to save Pawar by claiming he was suffering from mental ailments.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar, tweeted that he had spoken to Chief Minister  Devendra Fadnavis and police to ensure arrests of Dalits and combing Dalit localities be immediately stopped.

Soon after the vandalism of the replica Constitution on Tuesday, two four wheelers, 15-16 two wheelers were damaged by a rampaging mob of protestors who had initially gathered outside the collector’s officer around Wednesday noon to issue a memorandum seeking death penalty for the accused. The incident however soon took a violent turn and there was stone pelting on shops in the area.

Among those named in the FIR include Vijay Wakole, vice president of Republican Sena and former Mayor Ravindra Sonkamble.

The officer said that the name of Anandraj Ambedkar, who heads the Republican Sena, had not been added as an accused in the list.