Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil attends event wearing face shield amid threats of another ink attack

Last week three people threw ink at Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil apparently as a mark of protest against his controversial remarks on BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.

New Delhi: Amid threats of another ink attack, Maharashtra minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandrakant Patil on Saturday (December 17, 2022) wore a face shield while attending a function in Pune's Pimpri Chinchwad. The development comes a week after three persons threw ink at Patil in Pimpri city in a mark of protest against his controversial remarks on BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. Three people had thrown ink at Patil when he was stepping out of one of the office-bearers' house last week.

According to Patil's close aide, the minister put on a face shield as advised by a doctor to protect his eyes from any kind of infection.

Meanwhile, two people were booked for threatening an ink attack on Chandrakant Patil. The action was taken based on a social media message against Patil.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) functionary Vikas Lole and one Dashrath Patil have been booked by Sangvi police in Pimpri Chinchwad under Indian Penal Code sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 505 (1) (B) (statements conducing to public mischief), an official said.

They have been booked for threatening to throw ink on Patil during his visit to Pawanathadi Jatra in Pune.

One person was booked by Kothrud police for allegedly making objectionable comments about Patil on social media. The person has been charged under relevant provisions of the IPC and Information Technology Act based on an Instagram reel, the Kothrud police station official said.

Earlier this week, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police in Pune district had dropped the attempt to murder charge against three persons arrested for allegedly throwing ink at Chandrakant Patil. The cops also revoked the suspension of 10 police personnel in connection with the incident.

Speaking in Marathi at an event in Aurangabad recently, Patil, the Higher and Technical Education Minister in the Eknath Shinde-led government, had said that Ambedkar and Phule did not seek government grants for running educational institutions, they "begged" people to gather funds for starting schools and colleges.

The use of the word "begged" stirred up a controversy.