Another FIR filed against BJP MLC over anti-Pawar remarks

The offence, the second in two days, against Padalkar was filed at the Shirur Kasar police station in Marathwada's Beed district on the basis of a complaint submitted by Maharashtra NCP youth wing chief Mehboob Shaikh. Padalkar had on Wednesday termed Pawar as "corona" that has infected Maharashtra, drawing sharp reactions from the NCP.

An FIR was registered on Friday against BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar in a police station in Beed district of Maharashtra over his "objectionable" remarks against NCP chief Sharad Pawar, an official said. The offence, the second in two days, against Padalkar was filed at the Shirur Kasar police station in Marathwada's Beed district on the basis of a complaint submitted by Maharashtra NCP youth wing chief Mehboob Shaikh.

Padalkar had on Wednesday termed Pawar as "corona" that has infected Maharashtra, drawing sharp reactions from the NCP. The MLC had also accused him of doing politics over the issue of reservation for the Dhangar (shepherd) community. "I have registered the offence against Padalkar for making objectionable comments against Padma Vibhushan Pawar saheb," Shaikh said.

In his complaint, Shaikh said that Padalkar had said that Pawar is a "corona" that has infected the state and also charged the NCP patriarch with committing atrocities against the 'bahujan samaj' (downtrodden sections of the society). "Padalkar has hurt the sentiments of people like me and others by comparing Pawar saheb with corona pandemic, by making a statement that will create bitterness among communities...hence, I have lodged the complaint," he added.

Based on Shaikh's complaint, an offence was registered at the Shirur Kasar police station against Padalkar, the official said. NCP activists had burnt an effigy of the BJP legislator in Beed on Thursday.

On Thursday, the Pune police had registered an FIR against the BJP legislator. The FIR was filed on the basis of a complaint lodged by NCP's Baramati unit office-bearer Amar Dhumal. Meanwhile, NCP supporters staged protests against Padalkar in various parts of the state on Friday.

According to an official, protests were held in Beed city and other parts of the Marathwada region. At Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, the party workers hit Padalkar's poster with footwear and later set it on fire, he said.

A similar protest was held at Chiplun in coastal Ratnagiri district, where the party workers warned Padalkar that they will not allow him to roam freely. Different places in Pune district, including Indapur, Jejuri, Shirur, Ambegaon and Khed, also witnessed protests against the legislator.

However, at Pandharpur in Solapur district, Padalkar's supporters showered milk and water of the Chandrabhaga River on his poster to back him, the official said..