Birthday posters for leader one day,rival’s dog the next

Sandeep Lonkar,a local NCP leader and deputy sarpanch of Keshav Nagar,Mundhwa,who celebrated his birthday on April 5,said Harishchandra Kodre,BJP president from Mundhwa,publicly celebrated his dog’s birthday the next day only to tarnish his image.

Kodre erected a couple of hoardings with birthday wishes for his dog Tommy. This enraged Lonkar who filed a complaint against Kodre at the Hadapsar police station. Lonkar alleged that Kodre celebrated Tommy’s birthday just to malign his image. The Hadapsar police then detained Kodre and lodged a non-cognisable offence against him under Section 107 of Criminal Procedure Code.

Police have asked Kodre to appear before assistant commissioner of police V T Pawar (Wanavdi division) on Tuesday to give an undertaking that he would not disturb peace.

When contacted,Lonkar said the NCP is ruling party in Mundhwa gram panchayat. “Kodre celebrated his dog’s birthday to tarnish my image. He has no proof that his dog was born on April 6. This is nothing but dirty politics,” he said.

Kodre feels that police have done injustice to him. “Lonkar celebrated his birthday on April 5. I celebrated my dog’s birthday on April 6. Why should Lonkar have problems with it,” he said. “I am an animal lover. I had erected the boards on my private land,” he said. Police inspector Pandharinath Mandhare said,“We have found that Kodre does not own a dog. We have taken preventive action against Kodre.” Kodre claimed that he owns a dog. “I will take up the matter with Maneka Gandhi and state Home Minister R R Patil,” he said.