MVA workers detained for plan to protest over Shivaji Maharaj remarks during CM's Kolhapur visit

CM Fadnavis is scheduled to attend various programmes in Kolhapur on Thursday evening.On Wednesday, the workers of MVA parties - Shiv Sena UBT, NCP SP and Congress - along with members of various outfits - threatened to hold protests against Koratkars remarks during CM Fadnavis visit.

Ahead of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' visit to Kolhapur in Maharashtra, police on Thursday detained at least 50 Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) workers as they planned to hold protests over alleged derogatory remarks made by a Nagpur resident against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Kolhapur police had recently registered a case against a man for allegedly threatening historian Indrajeet Sawant and making derogatory comments against Shivaji Maharaj and his son Sambhaji Maharaj. In his complaint, Sawant said that he got a call wherein the caller identified himself as 'Prashant Koratkar' and threatened to kill him for allegedly trying to spread hatred against the Brahmin community. CM Fadnavis is scheduled to attend various programmes in Kolhapur on Thursday evening.

On Wednesday, the workers of MVA parties - Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress - along with members of various outfits - threatened to hold protests against Koratkar's remarks during CM Fadnavis' visit. ''Yesterday, the police issued notices to more than 100 members of the MVA parties. On Thursday morning, 50 to 55 members were detained in this connection, while several others were confined to one place,'' Harshal Surve, the Kolhapur unit president of Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena (UBT), said. ''We were planning to register our protest through democratic means. We had sought a place where we can agitate but by detaining us, they are trying to suppress our voice. But we will continue to agitate till Koratkar is punished,'' he said.

Senior inspector of Juna Rajwada police station confirmed that some party workers have been detained as they planned to agitate during the CM's visit.

A court in Kolhapur had granted an ad-interim protection from arrest to Koratkar. ''We are also approaching the Bombay High Court seeking cancellation of protection from arrest given to Koratkar,'' he said.