Denying nod to Mevani event is like accepting his political

The NCP today said the Maharashtra government's decision to deny permission to an event, where Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani was one of the main speakers, amounted to accepting the "political strength" of the dalit leader.
Police denied permission to 'All India Students Summit 2018', scheduled to be held in a western suburb today.
The event was supposed to be addressed by JNU student leader Umar Khalid, besides Mevani.
The permission was denied in the wake of the protests and bandh observed in the state yesterday following violence on the anniversary of a battle fought 200 years ago at Bhima Koregaon in Pune.

"If government feels that Mevani's speech can vitiate public order in the state, it amounts to accepting his political strength and failure of the state machinery," state NCP unit president Sunil Tatkare told reporters.
The event was organised by Chhatra Bharti, an independent student organisation which is not affiliated to any political party.

Tatkare called the development as an "attack on the freedom of expression".
He also condemned the violence that broke out on January 1 in Bhima Koregaon village and nearby areas in Pune district.
The caste clashes had occurred during an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the defeat of Peshwa troops by the British forces, comprising dalit soldiers.

The anniversary celebrations holds a major significance in Dalit narrative as the community views it as the defeat of "casteist" forces.
"Every year people visit the memorial ('Jaystambh') at Bhima Koregaon. This time, though some divisive forces tried to vitiate the atmosphere, the state government ignored it. The chief minister says that the violence happened because of rumours on social media. The government should have taken steps to stop it," Tatkare said.
The Bhima Koregaon incident caused a major unrest in Maharashtra yesterday when a bandh called by dalit groups turned violent at many places in the state, including the commercial capital.

Tatkare's party yesterday blamed Hindutva forces for the Bhima Koregaon clashes.
"Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should have convened an all party meeting to discuss the situation in the state. But he called only BJP leaders for the meeting," Tatkare alleged.
He said the NCP would launch the second leg of its "Hallabol" yatra from Osmanabad in Marathwada region on January 16.
The first phase of the campaign was launched from Yavatmal in east Maharashtra last year ahead of the winter session of the state legislature held in December in Nagpur.
"It (the second phase of the yatra) will cover all the eight districts (in Marathwada). The yatra will culminate in Aurangabad on January 31 and a rally would be addressed by NCP chief Sharad Pawaron that day," he said.