3 min readThaneAug 29, 2018 10:22 AM IST
First published on: Aug 29, 2018 at 03:08 AM IST
At a rally by Sanatan Sanstha members in Thane on Tuesday. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi)
Members of Sanatan Sanstha on Tuesday took out a march in Thane against those groups who are demanding its ban by levelling various charges against it. The march or Bhavya Feri was attended by around 100 people, police sources said.
Amid police deployment, the march began from Gadkari Rangayatan and continued around a circular route till a makeshift stage near Talaopali. Those who took part in the march raised slogans against the “purogami” (progressives) and political parties.
Once the march concluded, Sanatan Sanstha leaders Chetan Rajhans, Sunil Ganvat, among others, addressed the gathering at Talaopali.
Read | Five held now for ‘terror plot’, ATS prepares fresh dossier for Sanatan Sanstha ban
“This is all a big conspiracy to ensure that a group, which has brought forth a lot of loop holes in various trusts and political parties and has pointed out religious discrimination against the Hindus, is banished. We have been accused of several crimes in the past, none of which have ever been proved. In fact, we have been proved innocent every time. Yet, we are painted as a terror group,” said Rajhans, Sanatan Sanstha’s national spokesperson.
People who had joined the march were mostly members of Sanatan Sanstha and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. “The media paints us as the Hindu terror group, but also claims that terrorism has no religion. We shall not stay mum against this war on our ideology,” said 45-year-old Manasi Naik, 45, who took part in the march.
In the past, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested nine people in connection with an arms haul case. All the arrested persons were allegedly Sanstha members. However, Sanstha denied that the arrested persons were associated with it.
Also read | No Maharashtra proposal to ban Sanatan Sanstha: MoS Hansraj Gangaram Ahir
The CBI has also linked Sanstha members with the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and Communist leader Govind Pansare.
The NCP and the Congress had demanded that the right-wing organisation be declared a terror outfit, for which the state ATS is preparing a fresh dossier to be sent to the Centre.
“There is no proof that Sanatan Sanstha had anything to do with the cases. Then, why should we shut the only organisation doing anything positive for the Hindus?” asked Ajay Kadam (55), another participant of the march.
At a rally by Sanatan Sanstha members in Thane on Tuesday. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi)
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