Maha Minister Chandrakant Patil targeted with 'ink attack'

Pune, Dec 10 Maharashtra Higher & Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil was shown black flags and targeted with an "ink attack" here on Saturday.

Patil, who had gone to meet a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader, had stepped out of the meeting along with his security personnel when an unidentified person suddenly lunged forward and threw ink on his face.

A momentarily stunned Patil stumbled backward and almost fell down but was caught by his security detail and whisked off from the spot, while other police persons ran after the attacker and pinned him down.

The incident came a day after Patil created a fresh row with his statement in Aurangabad saying that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule did not depend on any government support but used to go around "begging" for money to start schools.

As a massive controversy erupted, Patil sought to clarify his position claiming what he implied was modern-era concepts like "crowd funding" and corporate social responsibility.

"However, if my statements have hurt anybody's sentiments, I hereby apologise for the same," he said on Sunday.

Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena (UBT), plus other leaders slammed Patil's utterances terming it as a slur on icons like Ambedkar and Phule.

The National Students Union of India, and several backward classes organisations protested against Patil during his engagements in Pune on Sunday and even attempted to stop his motorcade.

Despite extra tight security, one person managed to jump close enough and throw ink on Patil.

Later, after cleaning up, Patil was in his usual aggressive self, warning that rowdyism will not be tolerated and said that the attack would be fully probed.

Vowing he would not be cowed down by such assaults, he also "appealed" to the opposition MVA leaders to at least "condemn" the ink attack on him.

Other BJP leaders like Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and MLC Pravin Darekar slammed the 'ink attack' on Patil.