Prakash Ambedkar demands commission to summon Devendra Fadnavis in Koregaon-Bhima violence

Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) chief Prakash Ambedkar has demanded that the commission which is conducting inquiry into the January 2018 Koregaon-Bhima violence summon Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

He wanted to cross-examine Fadnavis who was then chief minister of the state, Ambedkar wrote in a letter to the panel last week. He also sought to summon then additional chief secretary Sumit Mullick and then Pune superintendent of police Suvez Haque.

Before asking me to depose, I would like to cross-examine then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, then additional chief Secretary Sumit Mullick and Pune SP Suvez Haque. Request the commission to arrange accordingly, Ambedkar said in the letter. Commission had called Ambedkar for deposition on June 5, but he informed in the letter that he would not be in Mumbai on that date because of pre-scheduled programs, but would be available on June 14 and 15.

Violence broke out near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district during the bicentennial anniversary celebration on January 1, 2018 of an 1818 battle in which the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa of Pune.