As Maharashtra continues to bristle after the brutal attack on Nikhil Wagle, BJP MLA from Kankavli, Nitish Rane who is often in the news for his comments, it seems is on a roll.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Nitish Rane has made some controversial comments himself, stating that, “One note, Nikhil Wagle is not a journalist at all. Don’t let him insult you as a journalist. It is an aberration. So, as a journalist, you should not insult yourself by calling him a journalist. That’s an insult.” Furthermore, to the alarm of many viewers, he stated that Wagle ‘got away easily’, as he continues, “And I have to only say this, he got away very easily (without much trouble). You understand this, if you see in reality (in all honesty) the work of Pune BJP has remained incomplete. Some time (later) the work should be completed, (and if they can’t do it) otherwise they should call me here.”
Rane was recently in the news for making an inciteful speech at Mumbai’s Govandi, where he was seen calling for the demolition of mosques and madrasas in the area, and arguing that the area was filled increasingly with ‘Rohingya and Bangladeshis’. Rane was also in the news prior to this for wanting to take out a Hindutva rally in the Mira Road neighbourhood right after its Muslims-owned shops and vehicles were attacked by the a mob.
Meanwhile, a report by the Indian Express has stated that senior party leaders have rebuked the local leaders for the incident. Dheeraj Ghate, BJP president in Pune, had organised the protest against Wagle the day he was attacked.
Meanwhile, on February 12, PTI reported that journalists from Mumbai and various other parts of Maharashtra came together and held a protest against the attack on Wagle. The protest was also attended by the Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad.
Various press bodies, including the Editors Guild of India and Press Club of India, has condemned the incident and called for an arrest of the perpetrators. As per reports, over 10 BJP workers have been arrested in connection to the incident. The police have also registered a complaint against Nikhil Wagle as well as the Pune city unit presidents of the BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress for reportedly violating section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
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