Lathicharge on pilgrims: Fadnavis hits out at opposition, warns not to 'play with people's emotions'

Opposition parties in Maharashtra are demanding the resignation of state home minister Devendra Fadnavis after an argument broke out between the police and 'warkaris' (devotees of Lord Vitthal) in Pune on Sunday, leading to a lathicharge on pilgrims.

The scuffle happened on Sunday evening during a procession at Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Samadhi Mandir in Alandi town, 22 km from Pune city. Devotees were reportedly scrambling to enter the temple during the annual procession when the police intervened.

According to the police, elaborate arrangements were made and meetings were held with temple trustees to prevent any untoward incident. The police were sending batches of 75 devotees at a time when a few people breached the barricades and tried to enter the temple, said Commissioner of Pimpri Chinchwad, Vinay Kumar Choubey. "There was an altercation when police tried to stop them," Choubey added.

He added that however, some local youngsters attempted to forcibly enter the Palkhi, leading to an altercation with the police. "No lathi charge or force was used by the police against them. I appeal to everyone to cooperate and maintain Maharashtra's rich tradition of peaceful Palkhis," he added.

However, the opposition NCP and Congress claimed that police lathi-charged warkaris. "I condemn the (state) government for the incident of lathi-charge on warkaris. This has never happened in so many years. The pilgrimage (to Pandharpur) has been a tradition for the past few centuries," NCP working president and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule said, adding that it was "anguishing to see the lathi-charge on the warkari community." 

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto described the incident as shameful. "Since March, an atmosphere of tension and violence prevails in the state. Today warkaris in Alandi have been lathi-charged. This is shameful. If Devendra Fadnavis (home minister) cannot run the state, he should resign,' he said.

Senior Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut too lashed out at the government stating that the "pretensions of the Hindutva government were exposed." "The mask fell off. How was Aurangzeb behaving differently? Mughals have reincarnated in Maharashtra," read his tweet. 

Meanwhile, Fadnavis denied there was lathicharge on the warkari pilgrims. "We learned from last year's stampede-like situation at the same place (Alandi) and tried giving a few number of entry pass to various groups. It was decided to issue 75 passes to each group that participates in the pilgrimage," Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur.

However, some 400-500 youths insisted that they would participate in the pilgrimage and won't follow the decision on the restricted allotment of entry passes. "They broke the barricades and the police tried to stop them, during which some police personnel were injured," Fadnavis said. 

He added that the situation has come under control and discussions are going on. "I have taken serious cognisance of the incident, but I appeal to the media houses not to blow up the situation through wrong reporting. There is no need to play with the emotions of the people," he said. 

"I also appeal to some political parties not to indulge in politics. The safety and security of the warkari community and of the people are important. Police have been instructed to find some solution," he said. 

The home minister also lashed out against the opposition. "We were not in the government last year when a stampede had taken place. We did not indulge in politics, but learned from that incident and tried to make things better. I pity the politicians who try to politicise the issue."