Sambhaji Brigade chief Pravin Gaikwad manhandled in Solapur for remarks towards Swami Samarth

Mr. Gaikwad alleged that he was focused over his “progressive thoughts” by followers of Hindutva ideology.

A viral video reveals Mr. Gaikwad being pulled out of his automobile and manhandled by a bunch of individuals within the afternoon.

“While Gaikwad was in his car, Shivdharm Foundation supporters staged protests, threw black ink on him and also tried to vandalise his car,” an official mentioned.

Mr. Gaikwad had come to Akkalkot, extensively identified for its affiliation with Swami Samarth, who’s believed to be a reincarnation of Shree Dattatreya, to attend a felicitation ceremony organised by an academic institute and Sakal Maratha Samaj.

The protesters additionally objected to Mr. Gaikwad’s terming Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj as ‘Sambhaji’. They demanded that the Sambhaji Brigade be renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Brigade, the official mentioned.

Police booked Deepak Kate and 6 different members of Shivdharm Foundation beneath sections 115 (2), 189, 190, and 191 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for rioting and detained them. They have been later allowed to go after the police served them notices.

Mr. Gaikwad alleged it was an try to kill him for his “progressive thoughts”.

“I had gone to Akkalkot and suddenly members of the Shiv Dharma Foundation smeared black, sticky oil on me. They attacked me and tried to kill me. You may recall the murders of Dr Pansare, Kalburgi, Dr Dabholkar and Gauri Lankesh. In the current regime, activists with progressive thoughts are unsafe,” he alleged whereas speaking to reporters.

“Sometimes there are attempts to break political parties. Then there are attempts to divide activists. When all such attempts fail, such attacks are carried out. We work with an ideology rooted in truth. Our thinking is aligned with the Constitution,” Mr. Gaikwad added.

The Sambhaji Brigade is working for humanity however, sadly, some misconceptions are unfold about social organisations, following which these claiming to comply with The Hindutva ideology perform such assaults, he claimed.

Sambhaji Brigade, a Maratha outfit, is known as after Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, son of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

It had gained publicity in 2004 for allegedly attacking and vandalising the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, claiming that it helped American scholar James Laine’s e book on Shivaji Maharaj, sure components of which have been unacceptable to them.

“Ideological opposition should be expressed through ideas. This path of violence is highly condemnable and deplorable,” NCP (SP) MP Amol Kolhe mentioned.

His colleague and MLA Jitendra Awhad provided assist to Mr. Gaikwad by calling him a “champion of progressive thoughts” and “a fighter”.