MUMBAI: Maharashtra police on Tuesday raided offices and houses of human rights activists in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur to probe their alleged role in the ‘Elgaar Parishad’ to commemorate the bicentenary celebrations of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in December last year. The raid that commenced in the morning, were conducted at the premises of Kabir Kala Manch in Pune, the Republican Panthers Party in Mumbai, the residence and office of advocate Surendra Gadling in Nagpur. Gadling had earlier given legal help to a number of leaders suspected to be involved in naxal activities, including suspended Delhi University professor GN Saibaba who was sentenced to life in prison on March 7 last year for alleged Maoist links and anti-India activities.
During the raid, many documents, computers and pen drives were that establish links between the organisations/individuals with the Naxals were seized, claimed police. Police said that the raids were conducted on receipt of ‘credible information’ that the violence at Bhima-Koregaon on New Year’s Day was orchestrated by the Red brigade. Moreover, complaint had been filed against the Elgaar Parishad that was addressed by a number of prominent personalities, including Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani, JNU leader Umar Khalid, Chhattisgarh activist Soni Sori and Bhim Army president Vinay Ratan Singh.
The event was organised at Shaniwar Wada in Pune on December 31, 2017 to mark the bicentenary of the defeat of the Peshwa army by the British forces. The defeat is seen as a major morale booster for the Dalits since members of the Mahar community were part of the British troops. Reacting to the raids, Bharipa Bahujan MahaSangh (BBMS) president Prakash Ambedkar said that the government was harassing Dalit leaders. “The government is not acting against Sambhaji Bhide who provoked the riots in Bhima-Koregaon. But it is harassing Dalit leaders instead,” Ambedkar said.