Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra govt mulling to withdraw cases filed in Bhima-Koregaon violence

MUMBAI: The 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' government in Maharashtra led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is mulling to withdraw cases filed in the Bhima-Koregaon violence that erupted last year. According to reports, the Chief Minister gave an indication in this regard during a meeting with the NCP MLAs on Tuesday.

During the meeting, CM Thackeray said that his government may withdraw cases filed in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence that broke out in Maharashtra in 2018.

However, those cases filed against the activists arrested for charges of sedition and for having links with the outlawed Maoist organisations may not be withdrawn. Senior NCP ministers Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal accompanied Gajbhiye during his meeting with the CM, according to a statement issued by the NCP.

"We are of opinion that all wrongful cases should be withdrawn. In fact, the previous government too had initiated the process of withdrawing cases in Bhima Koregaon violence except those involve serious criminal offences. We shall ensure that the process is expedited," CM Thackeray told reporters.

Uddhav said this while referring to a letter written by an NCP legislator to him regarding the withdrawal of the cases. NCP MLA Prakash Gajbhiye had written to Thackeray demanding the withdrawal of cases filed in Bhima Koregaon as well as Indu mill agitation.

“I handed over a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray demanding the withdrawal of cases against youth and women who participated in Bhima Koregaon as well as the Indu Mill land agitation,” Gajbhiye had told reporters on Tuesday.

All these cases should be withdrawn to do justice to the Dalit community, Gajbhiye had said in his letter.

It may be recalled that soon after taking over as the chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray-led government has withdrawn cases filed against activists in Aarey as well as Nanar refinery case.

Several young men, women and Dalit activists were wrongly implicated in the riots cases filed after the violence at the war memorial of Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018.

Similarly, the youth who agitated for the speedy handover of Indu mill land for an iconic memorial of Babasaheb Ambedkar too were implicated in cases.