Prakash Ambedkar meets CM Shinde, claims accused won't be arrested over Deekshabhoomi violence

Mumbai: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar claimed on Friday that the police will not arrest any of the accused booked for the violence and vandalism at the sacred Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on July 1.

Ambedkar, along with other VBA leaders, called on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday and made the demand to spare the persons allegedly involved in the protest and subsequent violence that rocked the Deekshabhoomi surroundings that day.

“None of the protesters will be arrested… The Chief Minister has spoken to Nagpur Police Commissioner and made this assurance,” Ambedkar claimed after the meeting.

The Nagpur Police have booked more than 15 persons who were allegedly involved in or instigated the violence to protest against the proposed underground parking facility in the vicinity of Deekshabhoomi, which could pose a risk to the stability of the world’s biggest hollow stupa (dome).

Following an uproar, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered a halt to the parking lot work till a consensus was reached among all the stakeholders.

The government earned the ire of the opposition leaders, including Congress’ Nana Patole, Nitin Raut, Vijay Wadettiwar, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Aditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, Sushma Andhare, Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, and Ambedkar both inside and outside the Legislature on this issue.

As the violence ended soon after Fadnavis' assurance, the police in Nagpur launched an investigation and booked more than 15 persons, including local VBA leaders and heads or office-bearers of other organisations, and unknown people.

Deekshabhoomi is the place where the chief architect of the Indian Constitution B. R. Ambedkar, embraced Buddhism with over 400,000 followers on October 14, 1956. It now ranks among the top monuments revered by the Dalit community.