Maharashtra CIC roughed up, 8 of Ambedkar kin’s party held

MAHARASHTRA’S CHIEF Information Commissioner (CIC) Ratnakar Gaikwad was heckled and shoved in Aurangabad on Monday afternoon, allegedly by members of the Bharatiya Republican Party Bahujan Mahasangh. The Bahujan Mahasangh is led by Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of B R Ambedkar.

The Begampur police station in Aurangabad, under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred, has arrested eight people.

Police said Gaikwad was on an official tour and was leaving for the airport when he was stopped outside the Subhedari Guest House and roughed up.

The accused have been booked for attempt to murder (307), assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty (353), voluntarily causing hurt (332), unlawful assembly (149) and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, among other charges.

Gaikwad is the adviser of People’s Improvement Trust, which undertakes initiatives for Dalit welfare. But he was at the centre of a controversy over the demolition of Ambedkar Bhavan in Dadar, Mumbai, last year. He was also named in an FIR filed by Ambedkar’s kin for allegedly carrying out a demolition drive in which a press set up by Ambedkar was damaged.

“The assailants were supporters of Prakash Ambedkar, who was critical of Gaikwad over the Ambedkar Bhavan demolition,” Wasim Hasmi, senior police Inspector of Begumpura told PTI.