Pune police's role in Elgar case must be probed, repeats Sharad Pawar

MUMBAI: Reitering his demand for an SIT, Sharad Pawar on Tuesday clarified that “we are not demanding a probe into the Koregaon Bhima violence or Elgar case but into the way police force was grossly misused”.
NCP had stated on Monday that the NPR form had uncalledfor questions, and state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat on Tuesday reiterated his party’s opposition to it. Uddhav, however, said, “There is no need to fear CAA.NRC has not been enforced and will not be implemented in the state. And NPR is just a census,” he said. He added he would “go through the columns given in the form” given the concerns raised, “but I don’t feel there will be any issues with it as it is conducted every ten years”.
On Pawar’s comment on a probe into “misuse of police powers” and not specifically into Elgar or Koregaon Bhima, home minister Anil Deshmukh of NCP and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik denied there was any climbdown on the party’s part. “We have been demanding a probe into the arrest of innocent persons. On Tuesday, Pawar reiterated this. We are sure the CM will accept our demand and set up an SIT,” Deshmukh told TOI. Deshmukh had earlier accused the CM of “overruling” him and consenting to the NIA taking over the Elgar probe.
Pawar said the way agencies had dealt with the case had tarnished the image of Pune police and state police. “We too have the power to probe the case…The role of Pune police must be probed as priority. I will not comment more as a commission of inquiry has been set up to probe the Koregaon Bhima violence,” he said.
Pawar too said Koregaon Bhima and Elgar were not linked as it was “prominent persons with a progressive approach who had participated in the Elgar conference”. He said the conference was to be inaugurated by former Supreme Court judge P B Sawant, who however did not attend owing to ill-health. “I was stunned when I was told those who did not attend the conference were arrested by Pune police and cases filed. Some were arrested for reading a poem by Dalit poet Namdeo Dhasal. Innocent persons are in jail for more than two years. As false information was submitted, they could not get bail. I am endorsing the proposal of SC for a high-level probe. Set up an SIT, and the truth will come out,” he noted. The NCP chief expressed surprise over the way details of the January 24 meeting between deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Deshmukh had been leaked, hours after which the Union home ministry issued notification for taking over the Elgar probe.
Thorat said MHA’s decision was part of Centre’s “attempt to label people associated with Dalit movements as Naxals. The Elgar conference was a platform for intellectuals, liberals and poets,” he said. He said that on CAA, NRC and NPR, “Congress has a very clear stand… of opposing them. Wherever there will be an attempt to divide society, Congress will oppose it. We will discuss with our allies and make them understand.” Stating NRC would not be implemented, Thackeray said “it would not only affect the Muslim community but Hindus, tribals and others.”