Journalist Nikhil Wagle's car attacked by BJP workers for 'offensive' remarks on Modi, Advani
Pune, Feb 9: The car of journalist Nikhil Wagle was attacked on Friday allegedly by BJP workers in Pune while he was travelling to attend an event, officials said.
They were protesting his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and LK Advani after the ruling party patriarch was awarded the Bharat Ratna.
A Deccan police station official said BJP workers threw ink on the car in which Wagle and two others, Aseem Sarode and Vishwambhar Choudhary, were travelling under police protection to the 'Nirbhay Bano' event organised by Rashtra Seva Dal in Singhad Road area here.
Television visuals showed BJP workers mobbing the car at Khandoji Baba Chowk and vandalising it, resulting in the vehicle's windscreen and side panes getting damaged.
Wagle managed to reach the venue of the event under police protection, the official added.
Addressing the 'Nirbhay Bano' event, Wagle said, "I forgive all those who attacked me. I have been attacked six times earlier and this was the seventh."
Workers from the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi were engaged in a standoff outside the Rashtra Seva Dal premises earlier, with protesters saying they would now allow Wagle to speak at the event.
Earlier in the day, a case was registered here against Wagle for allegedly making offensive remarks against the PM and Advani.
"Nikhil Wagle has been booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Vishrambaug police station. We are probing the matter further," the official said.
Senior BJP leader Sunil Deodhar had filed a complaint against the 64-year-old journalist at the Vishrambaug police station on Tuesday over the controversial comments, he said.
The senior scribe made the alleged defamatory remarks on social media platform X against Modi and Advani after the Centre announced that the latter would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
Pune BJP had also requested the police to deny permission to the 'Nirbhay Bano' event.
Pune city Shiv Sena president Pramod Bhangire said they were not opposing the event but only the participation of Wagle.
"We condemn Wagle's remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP veteran L K Advani. By making such remarks in his social media posts, he has created rift between communities," Bhangire said.
STORY | Journalist Nikhil Wagle's car attacked by BJP workers for 'offensive' remarks on Modi, Advani
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
