Koregaon-Bhima riots: Judicial panel to begin hearing in September
Mumbai, Aug 18 : A two-member judicial commission will hold its first hearing on the January 1 caste riots in Bhima-Koregaon in Maharashtra from September 5 to 7, an official said on Saturday.
The hearings will be held by the probe commission comprising former Bombay High Court Chief Justice Justice J.N. Patel and former Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sumit Mullick. Justice Patel is also a former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.
"Around 500 witnesses are likely to be examined during the hearings, starting with around a dozen (witnesses) next month, besides examining the voluminous documents running into more than 10,000 pages filed before the commission," Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray told IANS.
"Among other things, the commission will inquire into the riots, its causes and consequences, whether police and civil administration had made adequate arrangements on that day or not," he added.
The commission will also examine the sequence of events that led to the violence, the persons/organisations/groups responsible and security aspects during the gathering of over 200,000 Dalits at the venue.
Soon after the riots, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced the judicial probe. It was appointed on February 9 with a tenure of four months.
According to Hiray, the commission has already visited the riots scene in Pune district, taken pictures and videos, collected research material and other documents.
Around 500 affidavits have been filed before the commission, including by Pune Rural Police, members of the public, organisations and NGOs, and prime accused and Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote, head of Hindu Ekta Samiti who was arrested in March and is currently on bail.
On January 2, Pune police had slapped cases against Ekbote and another Hindutva leader Shri Shivpratisthan India chief Sambhaji Bhide alias Bhide Guruji were under The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Indian Penal Code, for allegedly inciting the violence in Koregaon-Bhima on January 1.
Violence erupted in small village of Koregaon-Bhima and its nearby areas during the celebrations of the historic Anglo-Maratha War of January 1, 1818, between the army of Peshwa Bajirao II and a small force of the East India Company that comprised a large number of Dalits.
Dalits from across the state had congregated around the Victory Pillar (Vijay Stambh) erected by the British in Sanaswadi village, when stone-pelting was started allegedly by right-wing groups carrying saffron flags.
In the ensuing clashes, more than 30 vehicles, including government buses, police vans and private vehicles, were torched or damaged and Rahul Fatangale, 28, of Nanded lost his life.
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Focus on Vijay's poll promises; TVK assured 8 gm gold for women
Chennai (PTI): As the new-entrant TVK appears likely to emerge as the single largest party and form the government, the focus has now turned into actor-politician Vijay's poll promises, including 8 gm gold for marriage, which is worth about Rs 14,000 per gram (22 carat).
Vijay's assurances in the party manifesto include Rs 2,500 monthly assistance for women below 60 years, 8 gm gold for marriage and six free cooking gas cylinders a year, per family.
By 3 PM, as per EC data, Vijay's party is leading in 105 constituencies and it falls short of a simple majority (118) in the Assembly.
The actor-turned-politician also assured a quality silk saree in addition to gold for indigent brides and interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh for women-run SHGs. He assured corruption-free good governance if voted to power in his maiden electoral fight.
The manifesto also laid importance on education. To prevent school dropouts, mothers or guardians of children studying in government and state-aided schools will receive Rs 15,000 annually.
Vijay promised 100 special residential schools named after iconic leader K Kamaraj, credited with revolutionising education in the state, and higher education loans of up to Rs 20 lakh. The TVK founder also assured AI Ministry, AI University and AI City.
The manifesto placed a strong emphasis on agrarian welfare, too.
The party promised a full waiver of agricultural cooperative crop loans for farmers owning less than five acres of land, while those holding more than five acres will receive a 50 per cent waiver. Additionally, the party promised a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane.
Addressing youth unemployment, Vijay pledged to create five lakh new government jobs and offer as many stipendiary internships. Unemployed graduates will be provided a monthly aid of up to Rs 4,000. For government employees, the party assured consideration of the Old Pension Scheme and the regularisation of contract workers, including nurses.
On the health front, he promised a drug-free Tamil Nadu. Vijay also committed to modernising hospitals, providing free annual health checkups, and introducing a Rs 25 lakh family health insurance scheme.
The manifesto also included a Rs 3,000 monthly pension for the elderly and the differently-abled, 200 units of free power, patta (land deed) regularisation, and 100 per cent piped drinking water supply for all households.
Some of the policy intereventions promised by TVK include a legal guarantee to provide essential government services like community certificates, and land pattas, within a strictly specified timeframe.
Vijay also promised doorstep delivery of governance by implementing a system to deliver services, such as ration supplies, directly to the people. He also assured that ease of doing business will be paramount to his government and promised a strict guarantee that business licences will be issued within 21 days.
Elections to 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu were held on April 23.
