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Journalism of Courage
Journalist Nikhil Wagle, environmentalist Vishambhar Choudhari and advocate Asim Sarode were attacked while they were travelling in a car to a meeting organised by Nirbhay Bano Manch in Pune on Friday, police said. Wagle and Choudhari alleged that their vehicle was attacked at four different places by BJP supporters, and claimed the Pune Police had not taken adequate measures to prevent the attack on them.
Police officials said that the process of lodging a case against the BJP workers was on.
The attack on Friday comes in the backdrop of Dhiraj Ghate, the BJP city chief, opposing the entry of Wagle to the city over his tweet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader LK Advani. An FIR was registered against Wagle based on a complaint by BJP leader Sunil Deodhar over the tweet. “We were kept waiting at advocate Asim Sarode’s home for four hours by senior police officers of Chaturshrungi and Deccan Police station. They wanted me to go back to Mumbai but I said I will not do so without attending the sabha,” said Wagle.
Once they left the house of Sarode in the car of advocate Balkrushan Nidhalkar, Wagle said, some people pelted stones and threw ink on the vehicle. “When our vehicle was near Dandekar bridge some people shattered the rear glass and stuck rods and sticks inside the vehicle. Sarode put my head down otherwise I would have been badly injured,” Wagle said.
Besides, Wagle, Sarode and Choudhari, the vehicle also had three other people.
At the event venue, BJP supporters came face to face with members of Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) AAP, Vanchit Bhaujan Aghadi and other members of INDIA alliance . However, the police personnel managed to get Wagle and others safely to the programme venue, where he later delivered his speech.
