After Cong, NCP seeks action against Sanstha

MUMBAI :After the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday demanded a ban on right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha for its alleged involvement in the assassination of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar. Refuting the allegations, the sanstha clarified they are being targeted for exposing “scams involving Congress leaders”.

Dabholkar was murdered in Pune in August 2013. State NCP chief Jayant Patil said the police should nab the mastermind. “The recent arrests are a result of investigations by police from neighbouring states that are probing the assassinations of rationalist MM Kalburgi and senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. Those from the sanstha involved in the case need to be arrested. The sanstha should be banned. During the Congressncp regime, we had sent a proposal to the Centre to ban the organisation, but it wasn’t approved. People then might not have thought that they would go to the extent of making bombs. In the light of fresh evidence, it is possible to ban the organisation,” Patil said.

He said, “We want the state police to nab the main conspirators. We are afraid that the arrested accused will manage to get bail from court, just like the Malegaon bomb blast case.”

On Monday, the leader of the Opposition in the legislative Assembly and Congress leader, Radhakrishna Vikhe-patil had demanded the arrest of Sanatan Sanstha chief Jayant Athawale.

In a clarification, Sanatan Sanstha national spokesperson Chetan Rajhans said the Congress’ demand was an attempt to save their skin as the sanstha had exposed the alleged corruption by Vikhe-patil. “Demanding the arrest of sanstha chief for others’ mistakes is ridiculous ,” he said.