MUMBAI: Twelve people, including Sangram Bhandare, have been booked for allegedly threatening NCP (SP) spokesperson Vikas Lawande with a gun and blackening his face over his remarks that several BJP-linked individuals disguised as saints have entered the spiritual Varkari sect in Maharashtra and are allegedly promoting an RSS–BJP agenda.
Vikas Lawande, spokesperson of the NCP (SP), had supported party president Sharad Pawar, who had earlier claimed that within the traditional Varkari sect, some individuals posing as saints were working for a Hindutva agenda. The Varkari sect is a spiritual tradition that includes people from all castes and communities, devoted to Vitthal and Rukmini of Pandharpur.
Mr Lawande had also named individuals within the Varkari tradition whom he alleged were linked to the RSS and BJP and were damaging the sect’s cultural ethos. He was vocal in his criticism of such self-proclaimed saints, whom he described as being aligned with the RSS and BJP.
According to the complaint, Sangram Bhandare and 12 others allegedly stopped Mr Lawande’s car, threatened him with a gun, threw ink at him, and blackened his face and body. Mr Lawande has filed a police complaint, alleging that the attackers attempted to kill him using a firearm.
The police have registered a case but have not included charges under the Arms Act against Sangram Bhandare for allegedly threatening Mr Lawande.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar criticised the police, stating they should act strictly in accordance with the law and ensure appropriate charges are included. He said the police should not shield those who allegedly attempted to kill Mr Lawande.
“If the Arms Act section is not included in the amended FIR, we will block the Pune–Solapur highway and launch protests across Maharashtra. The manner in which the accused threatened Mr Lawande proves our point that these people are not saints but intruders into the Varkari sect. Strict action must be taken against them,” Mr Pawar said.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Maharashtra, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers allegedly blackened the face of advocate Gunranta Sadhavarte and threw supari (betel nuts) at him, symbolically alleging that he works as a BJP agent and contractor for its agenda. Following the incident, police detained five MNS workers.
