Sambhaji Bhide faces protests by Dalit activists

Dalit activists Sunday protested against controversial Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide, who is accused of inciting caste violence near Koregaon-Bhima village in Pune district earlier this year, in the city.

Activists of dalit outfit Bhim Army gathered outside the venue of Bhide's speech, which was held in a school hall in suburban Sewree, and staged demonstrations.

Police detained several protesters from the spot.

Initially, the event was scheduled to be held in Lalbaug in central Mumbai, but was subsequently shifted to a school in Sewree (west) after police didn't grant a permission, a police official said.

He said no clearance was required from police for the Sewree programme, as it was organised inside a hall.

Bhim Army supporters then staged protests outside the school ground.

Meanwhile, Bhide, who heads Shivpratishthan Hindustan, went on to address the gathering in the hall without any disturbance.

Nitin Chougule, a senior leader of Shivapratisthan, claimed that the protest was politically motivated.

"The violence near Pune had taken place almost a year back. No one could prove Bhide Guruji's involvement in it, still he has been frequently accused of being anti-dalit", he said.

Bhide was booked by Pune rural police in the wake of caste clashes near Koregaon-Bhima village in January this year.

The violence had broken out when dalit activists had assembled to commemorate 200th anniversary of the Koregaon-Bhima battle in which Army of the Peshwas was defeated by British forces, which according to some History accounts, comprised a large number of Dalit soldiers.