Maratha Kranti Morcha Demands Apology from Fadnavis

Pune, Jul 23 (PTI) The Maratha Kranti Morcha today demanded an apology from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for alleging that some members from the community were planning violence at Pandharpur.

"The CM, while using objectionable language against the Maratha community, said that he had intelligence inputs that some organisations were planning violence to disrupt his visit to the Lord Vitthal Temple in Pandharpur," said Pravin Gaikwad, one of the coordinators of MKM.

"All these allegations are baseless. Till date, the Maratha community has taken out 58mookmorchas (silent marches) in the state and all these morchas were peaceful in nature. Not a single case of violence was reported during these morchas," Gaikwad claimed.

Stating that warkaris (pilgrims who arrive on foot at Pandharpur during Ashadhi Ekadashi) were farmers, Gaikwad said that it was the children of warkaris who were demanding reservations in jobs and education.

Demanding an apology, Gaikwad dared Fadnavis to make the intelligence report public.

At another event in Pune's Chinchwad area, a woman activist reportedly from a Maratha organisation, tried to raise slogans at a function attended by Fadnavis.

She tried to raise slogans when Fadnavis rose to address a gathering at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Krantiveer Chaphekar National Museum in Chinchwad today.

Earlier, police had detained 20 members of the MKM ahead of the CM's Chinchwad visit.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Fadnavis had said that "Police have intercepted some messages, like 'will release snakes among devotees', 'could create a situation that would lead to stampede', among others."

"Efforts are being made by some organisations and people that could create a life-threatening situation in Pandharpur," the chief minister had said yesterday.

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