Attack on Nikhil Wagle’s car: Pune police slammed for inaction; BJP says journalist’s remarks provoked party workers

Jitendra Ahwad, who belongs to NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), said Pune BJP had threatened to disrupt the Nirbhay Bano meeting to which Wagle was headed. “Despite the threat, Pune police did not act against them. On the contrary, Nikhil Wagle and his associates were detained for hours. This goondaism seems to have the blessings of BJP. Those who express their views are facing police wrath. Under police protection, BJP goons are openly creating terror. This is like an Emergency-like situation. And an attempt to make Maharashtra a police state. I condemn it,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Sandeep Khardekar said, “Both actions are condemnable. The attack on Wagle’s car is condemnable, and his disparaging remarks against PM Modi and LK Advani are even more condemnable. Our party workers would not have done what they did if they were not instigated by Wagle’s objectionable comment. Wagle stooped very low but no one took him to task. Why are people silent on his derogatory comment?”

Khardekar said they had not opposed the Nirbhay Bano Manch meeting. “We were not against Wagle’s speech or for that matter the speeches of Vishwambhar Choudhary and Asim Sarode. We were opposing Wagle’s comments on our leaders.”

Asked about the allegations that an attempt was made on Wagle’s life, Khardekar said, “Whatever they were doing, they did deliberately. They wanted to gain sympathy, create an atmosphere in their favour and seek publicity. They want to provoke people and gain political capital from the sympathy generated. Congress and NCP are equally responsible for their provocative statements.”

AAP’s Pune unit chief Mukund Kirdat said the way BJP launched an attack on Nikhil Wagle, and the manner in which Pune police looked on and did nothing clearly shows it was done at the behest of the Shinde-Fadnavis government.”

“BJP goons created terror in the heart of the city and Pune police remained mum. Stones, bricks and eggs were hurled at Wagle’s car and even at women workers. This is how this government wants to rule – by creating an ambience of terror in Maharashtra. The common man has already lost faith in the rulers and they will be further rattled by such brazen goondaism and nonchalance of the police,” Kirdat said.

“Wagle’s car was attacked at least in four locations,” he said. “How can the police allow it? It is obvious they were instructed by the state government. It was BJP-sponsored terror,” Kirdat alleged.

Pune city Congress chief Arvind Shinde too denounced the incident. “Pune was witness to BJP-sponsored terrorism on its streets, and they could do it because Pune police looked on even as BJP goons attacked Wagle’s car. If the police had acted on the first occasion, such a drama would not have happened.”

Arvind Shinde said all this occurred despite Congress’s Pune unit alerting the police about BJP’s bid to disrupt the meeting. “We had intimated the cops about BJP’s intention, but they did nothing. On the contrary, it appeared as if police were helping BJP goons to carry out the attack,” he said.