Bhima-Koregaon violence: Dalit leaders demand Sambhaji Bhide's arrest, Prakash Ambedkar meets Maharashtra CM

Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar on Monday held talks Devendra Fadnavis.

Protest at Mumbai's Azad Maidan demanding the arrest of Sambhaji Bhide in the Bhima-Koregaon case (Pic courtesy: ANI)

Mumbai: Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader Prakash Ambedkar on Monday held talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale was also present in the meeting.

Dalit organisations are demanding the arrest of Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide in the Bhima-Koregaon violence case. After the police denied them permission to carry out a protest, they gathered at Azad Maidan to register their demands.

#Visuals of Elgar protest march at Mumbai's Azad Maidan demanding the arrest of Sambhaji Bhide in the Bhima-Koregaon violence case. pic.twitter.com/jXkTGTvyOW

— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2018

Earlier, Hindu Ekta Aghadi leader Milind Ekbote was arrested in the Bhima Koregaon incident. A case was registered against Ekbote and Bhide, the head of Shiv Pratishthan Sansthan, for allegedly inciting the anti-Dalit violence that left a man dead near the 'war memorial' in Pune district on January 1, 2018.

The incident took place during an event to commemorate the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle. Subsequent protests had disrupted normal life in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. The Pune rural police had earlier this month arrested Ekbote after the Supreme Court turned down his anticipatory bail plea. 

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress on Monday criticised the Maharashtra government for refusing permission to the protest march planned by a group of activists. The Mumbai police had on Sunday refused permission for the protest march, saying it could cause inconvenience to people on a working day.

(With PTI inputs)