Five to six men attacked Awhad’s car with sticks before fleeing

MUMBAI/THANE: NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad‘s vehicle was attacked by around 5-6 people on Thursday over his remarks against former Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati. The incident took place on P D’Mello Road, near the Eastern Freeway.
The men who attacked Awhad’s car with sticks and broke the rear window glass fled after the police personnel from Awhad’s escort car got down and chased them.The attackers were shouting “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai.”
Nitin Deshmukh, spokesperson for NCP (SP), lodged an FIR with the Dongri police. Deshmukh, in his complaint, stated that he saw in a video that Ankush Kadam, a functionary of Swaraj Sanghatna, was gesturing some men to attack. He further stated in the FIR that through the media, he learnt that Dhananjay Jadhav, a functionary of Swaraj Sanghatna, said that the Swaraj Sanghatna claimed responsibility for the attack. Kadam and Jadhav have been named in the FIR.
Police registered the case against the accused for wrongful restraint, unlawful assembly, criminal conspiracy, rioting, etc., of the BNS. The Pune city crime branch officials on Thursday evening detained the spokesperson of a political party allegedly involved in the attack. Pune police handed over the custody of the spokesperson to Mumbai police later in the night. The attacks were likely provoked by Awhad’s recent remarks holding Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati accountable for instigating violence in a few villages following the demolition of some religious structures in Kolhapur last month.
“I’ve been receiving threats demanding an apology, but I’ll not succumb to such feeble attacks. Instead, I will speak more vehemently. I am not advocating for any particular community,” said Awhad.