Congress Leader Demands Inquiry Into Kolhapur Anti-Encroachment Violence

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has called for a high-level inquiry into the recent violence during an anti-encroachment drive at Vishalgad Fort in Kolhapur. Wadettiwar has demanded action against the collector and superintendent of police.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Wadettiwar, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, accused anti-social elements of targeting a particular community under the guise of removing encroachments at Vishalgad. He labeled the violence at Gazapur as 'government-sponsored' and called for the main culprit to be identified.

The incident, which saw a mob hurling stones at police personnel and damaging properties, resulted in the arrest of 21 people. The situation escalated further when right-wing activists led by Maratha royal and former MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati were stopped at the fort's base due to prohibitory orders. Wadettiwar claims the violence was orchestrated with an eye on the upcoming assembly elections, and he criticized the government and police for their inaction.

(With inputs from agencies.)