Cases against Rawle, Sarpotdar for violating prohibitory orders

The arrests follow the stern view taken by the Election Commission of India to the knee-jerk reaction of Sainiks, who fomented trouble all over the state following Thackeray’s disenfranchisement. In Mumbai too, shops and other commercial establishments were forced to down shutters in some suburbs while Sainiks pelted stones at buses and other vehicles at the weekend besides organising public meetings and processions.

Reacting to the President’s order based on a recommendation from the Election Commission, Thackeray, as is his wont, dripped sarcasm. He had dubbed the notification debarring him from both exercising his franchise and contesting elections was “a victory for democracy”. A group of Sainiks led by Parel Corporator Parag Chavan also burnt an effigy of Chief Election Commissioner, M S Gill, to condemn the “anti-democratic decision”.

On July 30, while a high-level delegation led by former chief minister Manohar Joshi called on Chief Electoral Officer D K Sankaran to urge him to get the notification revoked, Sena workers led by Mohan Rawle and Dagadu Sakpal took out a huge procession in violation of prohibitory orders. The procession had culminated in a public meeting, where Rawle criticised President K R Narayanan.

Expressing shock at the violence in the metropolis, the Election Commission had sought information of the alliance government as well as Chief Electoral Officer D K Sankaran. Its contention was that though prohibitory orders were in force, police had allowed the Sena to take out processions in the city. Senior police officials, however, say that had they tried to stop the processions, it would have further provoked the Sainiks.