Mumbai, Jul 15 (PTI) Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday clarified that he did not make any calls to save Deepak Kate, the man accused of attacking Sambhaji Brigade leader Pravin Gaikwad in Solapur district, and said his call records could be verified.
Bawankule has been in the eye of a storm after several photos and videos featuring him with Kate surfaced on social media.
Gaikwad was manhandled, and ink was thrown on him allegedly by activists of an organisation over his reported remarks on Swami Samarth, who is believed to be a reincarnation of Shree Dattatreya, at Akkalkot village in Solapur district on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters on the premises of the state legislature, Bawankule said, "False information should not be spread against me. If required, call data records of my phone can be verified to establish that I did not make any calls to save Deepak Kate." The state revenue minister also condemned the attack on Gaikwad.
"We may have disagreements with Pravin Gaikwad, but the cowardly attack on him is condemned. We did not support it. It is not in the BJP's nature to save any accused person from legal action. An accused is an accused, irrespective of his political affiliation," he said.
A video of the attack in Solapur, which went viral on Sunday, showed Gaikwad being pulled out of his car and assaulted by a group of people.
According to police, the attackers objected to Gaikwad allegedly referring to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj simply as "Sambhaji" and demanded that the Sambhaji Brigade be renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Brigade.
Police booked Kate and six other members of the Shivdharm Foundation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for rioting and detained them. They were later allowed to go after the police served them notices.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has claimed that Kate was active in the BJP's youth wing, fuelling further criticism from the opposition.
Bawankule has, however, maintained that the BJP had nothing to do with the incident and denied any efforts to shield those involved. PTI ND ARU