Hours after workers from the Sharad Pawar’s faction of the NCP smeared ink on author Namdev Jadhav in Pune on Saturday evening, he lodged a First Information Report (FIR) alleging that the provocation for the attack came from “senior leaders” of the party. In his FIR, registered at the Vishrambag police station on Saturday night, Jadhav, 45, also stated that the attack came after he took a stand opposing Pawar. “Ten to 15 NCP workers threatened me that I would be finished from the face of the earth if I ever took a stand against Sharad Pawar in future. They smeared ink on my face and body and also manhandled police guard Akshay Kamble. The provocation of this attack came from the senior leaders,” Jadhav said in the FIR. Sub-inspector Ganesh Fartade said, “We have launched a probe in the case. The process to identify the suspects is on. No arrests have been made yet.” Jadhav recently accused Pawar of depriving the Maratha community of reservation. Angered by his comments, NCP supporters decided to protest against Jadhav, who was going to attend an event scheduled to be held on the premises of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) in Pune on Saturday. However, after learning about the agitation, BORI refused permission for the private event. As a few Pawar supporters congregated at the institute for the protest, police personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incident. Later, the protesters went to Patrakar Bhavan, where Jadhav had reached for another event on Saturday evening. While he was interacting with the media there, NCP workers started shouting slogans in support of Pawar. A policeman accompanying Jadhav tried to pacify the NCP workers and asked them to keep calm. However, one of the protesters got ahead of him and smeared Jadhav’s face with black ink. More protesters started throwing black ink on Jadhav even as the policeman shielded him in a tight embrace. The police have invoked Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to unlawful assembly, rioting, criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, voluntarily causing hurt, endangering life or personal safety of others, wrongful restraint, intentional insult and criminal intimidation in the case.
