Parbhani Bandh turns violent; Arson, vandalism at 7 places

• Incident of desecration of the Constitution’s replica in Parbhani

• Curfew imposed and internet services shut down

• Mentally ill accused brutally assaulted

The denigrated icon covered with blue cloth

Parbhani, Maharashtra – A mentally ill person broke the glass of the replica of the Constitution placed near Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue in front of the District Collectorate office on 9th December around 5:30 pm. In response, an angry mob brutally assaulted the accused in front of the Police. They even attempted to set him on fire with petrol, but timely Police intervention averted a larger disaster.

In protest against the desecration, a bandh was called on 11th December in Parbhani and Gangakhed towns. However, the bandh turned violent. Arson was reported at seven locations in Parbhani city. Protesters vandalised several shops in the city and set vehicles on fire at various spots. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, but the mob retaliated by pelting stones at the Police officials. A riot control team was called in, and the situation was brought under control. Police imposed a curfew and shut down the internet services. No crime has been registered yet.

1. The accused is identified as Sopan Dattarao Pawar (45), who, according to the Police, is mentally ill. He has been arrested and admitted to the hospital. Following the incident, the replica of the Constitution was covered with cloth and a Police force was deployed at the site.

2. At several locations in the city, protestors destroyed banners and set them on fire. Firefighting teams are currently trying to control the fires. The Police have also begun patrolling the streets. During the bandh, many women took to the streets and also pelted stones at the Police. Female protesters tried to force their way into the District Collector’s office. Police attempted to stop them, but when they became aggressive, the Police allowed them inside. Once inside, the protesters raised slogans.

3. During the Parbhani Bandh, several shops in the city were set on fire by protesters. In a precautionary measure, the administration imposed a curfew in the District; however, despite these orders, a large crowd gathered near Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue. To prevent law and order issues, the administration imposed a curfew across the District.

Delay in action worsened the situation : Vijay Wadettiwar, Congress Leader

‘Following the incident, the administration and Police should have taken immediate action, but their delay worsened the situation. The Police should take strict action against the individuals responsible for the desecration. The Constitution-loving citizens must maintain peace and cooperate with the administration’, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar appealed.

The accused is identified as Sopan Dattarao Pawar being beaten up by the mob

Reactions from MLAs and MPs

• Strict action will be taken against anti-social elements : Pravin Darekar, BJP Leader
• ‘I strongly condemn the incident in Parbhani. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have always respected the Constitution. Strict action will be taken against the anti-social elements attempting to tamper with the Constitution’, BJP leader Pravin Darekar said.
• Rahul Patil, MLA of Shiv Sena (UBT), urged the protesters to remain calm, saying that the situation is under control. ‘The incident of 9th December is unfortunate’, he said.
• MP from Thackeray faction, Sanjay Jadhav, condemned the incident, saying it was unfortunate. He also emphasized that while protesting, care should be taken not to cause inconvenience to others.
• Amol Kolhe, MP of NCP (SP), demanded that the Government immediately take action against these troublemakers and curb the elements creating unrest in society.

Events that happened on 10th December

1. An angry mob staged a ‘road block’ protest near the District Collectorate office and the railway station around 7 pm.

2. Some miscreants pelted stones at shops in the ITI area and on roads leading to Gandhi Park, causing damage to vehicles parked on the streets. Due to the worsening situation, Police called in riot control units.

3. The protesters expressed their anger by stopping the Nandigram Express at the railway station. The train was allowed to proceed after Police intervention.

4. The news of the desecration of the Constitution’s replica quickly spread through social media, sparking reactions in other talukas like Gangakhed, Jintur, Manwath, Pathri, and Selu. Additional Police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order in the District.

Meeting between protesters and the District Collector

In a meeting between the protesters and the District Collector, the Collector urged everyone to cooperate in restoring peace in Parbhani city and District.

He advised the youth to control their emotions and not act on rumours. He also appealed for caution to avoid offending the sentiments of any community and ensure that there would be no law-and-order issues in the District.

Arrest the accused within 24 hours or face the consequences : Prakash Ambedkar, President, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi

Prakash Ambedkar, President of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, issued a warning on 11th December that if the accused in the desecration of the Constitution’s replica were not arrested within 24 hours, there would be serious consequences.