Jignesh, Umar face the heat

MUMBAI/PUNE, DHNS: A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hinted at the role of "outsiders" in the Koregaon Bhima clashes, the police stepped up the heat against newly-elected Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani and JNU leader Umar Khalid.

Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh's founder-president Prakash Ambedkar met Fadnavis and demanded the arrest of Sambaji Bhide Guruji, the founder of Shree Shiv Pratisthan Hindustan and Milind Ekbote, the founder of Samastha Hindu Aghadi.

Meanwhile, the situation across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and elsewhere in Maharashtra returned to normal after three days of tension - that claimed two lives - one in Pune and another in Nanded.

The Vishrambaug police station in Pune registered an FIR against Mewani, the Dalit face of Gujarat politics and the convenor of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, and Khalid, a left-wing youth leader.

Two youths, Akshay Bikkad and Anand Dhond, who claimed they were not affiliated to any organisation or party, had filed a complaint in the Deccan Gymkhana police station about the two of them making inflammatory speeches at the Elgaar Parishad held in Shaniwarwada in Pune.

The complaint was transferred to the Vishrambaug police station, which registered the FIR.

Meanwhile, in a related development in Mumbai, the police cancelled the permission of a students' convention organised by Chhatra Bharati at the Bhaiadas Hall Vile Parle, where Mewani and Khalid were to speak.

Chhatra Bharati members staged noisy protests, raised anti-government slogans, attempted to squat outside the venue and many were seen running on the main road.

Several students were detained by the Juhu police station officers.

"Why is the government fearing the students? There was permission and there was no law and order threat," Chhatra Bharti leader and MLC Kapil Patil said.

Ambedkar, after his meeting with the chief minister, said Fadnavis has assured to stop the combing operation.

"The chief minister is the home minister as well... we told him that those who protested are not terrorists or naxalites... they were not only Dalits, but people from other communities as well... they were common people. If specific offences are there against some people, we have asked police to give the list. We would produce them before the police. He (Fadnavis) has assured that the combing operation will be stopped," he said.

He said Fadnavis informed him that he has requested the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court to nominate a sitting judge for a judicial inquiry into the entire episode.

"We have demanded that the probe commission should be given enhanced powers to even recommend punishment to those found guilty. This is the first time that an enquiry commission shall be bestowed with such powers," Ambedkar said.