The Rashtriya Varkari Sena and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has demanded for the dissolution of Government Committee of Anti-Black Magic Act and alleged that many members of the committee are corrupt, possess criminal background and support Naxals. They have threatened to hold demonstration on December 18, if the government fails to dissolve the committee. According to Shrikant Pisolkar, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Coordinator for Vidarbha, the erstwhile Congress Government had constituted a Government Committee (PIMC) for creating awareness about Anti Black-Magic Act 2013. Since no inquiries had been made about the background of its office bearers before appointing them, many criminals, members of organisations who are facing charges of corruption remain active in the Committee. He added that Shyam Manav of Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (ABANiS), who has been held guilty of writing defamatory articles has been appointed as Co-chairman of the Committee; whereas, Avinash Patil, Mukta Dabholkar, Madhav Bagwe and Chhaya Savarkar are the members of ‘Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti’ (MANiS). The Assistant Charity Commissioner, Satara has submitted a report that ‘Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti’ has indulged in various incidents of funds mismanagement and other financial scams.
Arvind Pansare, spokesperson, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti said, “Cases have been filed against Prof Shyam Manav and Mukta Dabhokar for making anti-religious statements. Manav has already served one year imprisonment in 1992. As per Bombay Public Trust Act 1950, a person who has served jail sentence is not eligible to hold any post in trusts and any position held by him also becomes invalid. Narendra Dabholkar’s MANiS is indulging in corruption activities and they are also involved in financial irregularities. Trust officials are misusing the organisation’s money for their personal use and they fail to keep financial records of the same. The government should stop offering financial assistance to them.”
Dr Hamid Dabholkar, MANiS general secretary said, “Those people making allegations against our organisation must provide some evidence about it. Nobody can make baseless allegations against us. They should register a complaint or file litigation in the court.”
Prof. Shyam Manav, founder of All India Andha-shraddha Nirmulan Samiti (ANS) said, “The government had sanctioned Rs 14 crore but we have not accepted a single rupee. The funds were being spent through social justice department. The Hindu Janjagruti activists have committed three murders viz Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M.M. Kalburgi. They have alleged that we have misused Rs 25 lakhs but the amount has been transferred to fixed deposit account. The allegations made by them about I serving jail sentence is false.”
Shrikant Pisolkar, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti Coordinator for Vidarbha said, “While claiming to eliminate superstition, ‘MANiS’ is spreading another scientific superstition. Despite Government ban on accepting foreign donations by the editor, journalists, owners of the newspapers and periodicals in India, but the ‘MANiS’ is the publisher of ‘Andhashraddha Nirmulan Vartapatra’ (Periodicals) which collected lakhs of rupees from the foreign countries. It has not submitted any accounts to the Government for last 12-13 years, even after collecting crores of rupees from the people,” .
He also added, “This organisation which is involved in such and other similar scams claims to be rationalist and progressive. Such corrupt organisation finding place in the Government Committee and holding meetings with the government is a very serious matter. Therefore, the Chief Minister should immediately dissolve the Government Committee by taking serious cognisance of the issues.”
H.B.P. Devrao Maharaj Vanave, Joint Secretary of Rashtriya Varkari Sena said, “On one hand, the Chief Minister seeks blessings of Shri Vitthal at Pandharpur on the other hand, the government appointed committee member makes objectionable statements about Sant Dnyaneshwar. Shyam Manav and other members of Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti should be ousted from the government committee, failing which Varkari sect will hold protest throughout the state.”
