NCP demands FIR against Raj Thackeray over attack on Amol Mitkari’s car, death of MNS worker

Mumbai/Akola: The Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Thursday demanded that MNS chief Raj Thackeray be booked for the recent attack on its Member of Legislative Council Amol Mitkari’s car in Maharashtra’s Akola.

NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil also demanded that Thackeray be held responsible for the death of his party worker who died of a cardiac arrest, hours after attacking the MLC’s vehicle on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference, Patil claimed workers from the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) tried to attack Mitkari with weapons and, when this wasn’t possible, they vandalised his car.

“Jai Malokar, one of the attackers, succumbed to a heart attack soon after. Raj Thackeray is responsible for this death,” he charged and also demanded action against the MNS chief for the attack on Mitkari's car.

Meanwhile, police on Thursday detained four MNS members in connection with the vandalism of Mitkari's car.

The NCP legislator, however, held a protest outside the district Superintendent of Police (SP) office in Akola, alleging that the police were taking no against the accused and shielding them.

MNS workers on Tuesday damaged Mitkari's car in Akola after he criticised Raj Thackeray for targeting Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar over recent waterlogging in Pune.

Police later registered an FIR against 13 MNS workers and office-bearers, including its Akola district women’s wing president, for unlawful assembly, mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance and other charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Raj Thackeray had criticised Ajit Pawar over flooding in some areas of Pune due to water discharge from a dam amid heavy rainfall last week.

Hitting back at the MNS chief, Mitkari had said the “most unsuccessful person” in Maharashtra politics should not comment on the work done by Ajit Pawar, the MLA from Baramati in Pune district.

“A case has been registered against 13 MNS workers in the vandalism case. Of them, three were arrested earlier and a court has granted bail to them. Four others were detained today," a police official said.

Around 11 am, Mitkari along with his daughter and brother launched a sit-in protest outside the Akola SP office demanding the arrest of all the accused.

“After the incident of car vandalism, there is an atmosphere of terror among people. Due to the support of the personnel of the local crime branch, some accused can walk free. But I will complain about it to the home minister and the chief minister to seek the arrest of all accused," he said.

"The police are not taking the matter seriously," he said.

Mitkari later withdrew his protest after meeting Akola SP Bachchan Singh.