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Journalism of Courage
The attack on Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in New Delhi sparked sporadic protests in Maharashtra.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Umeshchandra Sarangi said there was trouble in Pune,Nashik,Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. In Mumbai,NCP workers staged rasta rokos in parts of the city,halting traffic and forcing shops to shut down.
Our officers were immediately deployed and we could contain the situation before it got out of hand, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajnish Seth. We are keeping a close watch on the situation. Officers of DCP,ACP and Senior Police Inspector ranks have been told to ensure law and order.
In Baramati,Pawars hometown,NCP workers called a bandh and staged roadblocks. Most of the shops remained closed. In the evening,protesters came out on the roads and damaged State Transport buses and private vehicles.
Meanwhile,the NCP has called for a probe into the conspiracy behind the incident. The incident calls for some thinking to be done by the police. It is necessary to see the mans background if he is indeed deranged,then he must be given medical treatment. Otherwise,he can do worse damage, said PWD minister and former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
An inquiry must be conducted into who was behind the attack, said Madhukarrao Pichad,president of the state party unit.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said he deplored the cowardly attack,and added that it was regrettable especially since the assailant had also attacked another politician recently. It is a serious breach of security,politicians have to be in the public domain, he said.
