'Koregaon-Bhima case: Attempts to politicize probe'

The Maharashtra government's reported move to withdraw criminal cases related to the Koregaon Bhima incident was on Wednesday raised in Rajya Sabha by a BJP MP, who faced protests from Left parties when he sought to draw a parallel with a similar move in Kerala.

During the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao said there are "attempts to politicize" police investigation in some cases that pose threat to national security.

He said investigation and revelations in the Koregaon Bhima case have shaken the entire country, and some of the people arrested in the case have been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

"But there are certain demands being now made purely political in nature to bail out people who have been arrested (under UAPA).

"This clearly shows there is an attempt to politicize," he said and urged the central government to advise state governments not to compromise on national security.

Rao then tried to seek to draw a parallel with a similar case in Kerala, ruled by the Left Democratic Front.

Left party MPs, Elamaram Kareem, Binoy Viswam and KK Rajesh, protested vociferously.

But before this, Chairman M Venkaiaha Naidu had asked Rao not to name any political party

"You sit down...You cannot dictate," Naidu said as he asked Left MPs not to protest.

The Chairman said no political statement is allowed during the Zero Hour, and no such comments would go on record.

On the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon, a large number of people had gathered at the memorial near Pune on January 1 last year. While the crowd was returning, violence had erupted in Pune and nearby areas, and also in several parts of the state. One person was killed in the violence.

While Rewati Raman Singh (SP) highlighted the shortage of faculty at Allahabad University, K T S Tulsi (nominated) sought to draw attention to the House towards the shortage of doctors in the country.