Man held for trying to slap union minister Athawale

mumbai — A 30-year-old man was detained for allegedly attempting to slap Union minister Ramdas Athawale at a public event in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Saturday, police said.

The Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief was in Ambernath town to address a rally. Athawale had just got off the dais after delivering a speech on the Constitution when the incident happened at around 10.15pm, a police officer said on Sunday.

Pravin Gosavi, on the pretext of garlanding Athawale, allegedly tried to slap him, following which people overpowered him, beat him up and handed him over to the police.

The minister of state for social justice and empowerment was not harmed as the bystanders and police managed to foil Gosavi’s attempt to assault him, the officer said.

Gosavi, who was first admitted to a hospital in Ulhasnagar town following the public beating, has been shifted to a staterun hospital in Mumbai, police said.

“We have registered a case under sections 353 and 332 of the Indian Penal Code. Gosavi has been detained and not arrested as yet,” said Ambernath police station inspector K G Chavan.

While a probe was underway to ascertain why Gosavi had tried to attack the minister, a senior police officer said it could have been out of frustration for having been expelled from the RPI (A). —