The BJP-led Maharashtra government is shying away from taking serious action against the Sanatan Sanstha because “supporters” of the right wing outfit are part of the ruling dispensation, the Congress alleged today.
Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil also said that the style of functioning of the Sanstha can be equated with international terrorist organisation, the Al Qaida.
The role of Sanstha is under scanner in connection with the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare and recent seizure of explosives from different parts of the state.
The Maharashtra ATS is currently probing if the right wing activists arrested in connection with the killings and seizure are anyway linked to the Sanstha.
“The supporters of the Sanatan Sanstha are now part of the state NDA government of the BJP and the Shiv Sena. This is the reason there is no serious action against the Sanstha,” Vikhe Patil alleged while speaking with reporters in Mumbai in Maharashtra.
The ATS had yesterday arrested former Shiv Sena corporator Shrikant Pangarkar in connection with the seizure of crude bombs and weapons from different parts of the state between August 9 and 11.
The ATS had arrested Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhanwa Gondhalekar from Palghar and Pune districts on August 10 in connection with the seizure of bombs and weapons.
“I wonder why the Maharashtra government is not taking any action against the Sanstha despite it being in possession of so many proofs,” Vikhe Patil told reporters.
He equated the Sanstha’s work with Al Quaida.
“They (Sanstha) have trained at least 500 youths for carrying out attacks,” he said referring to the arrests of Raut, Kalaskar and Gondhalekar.
The ATS suspected that the arrested trio wanted to carry out attacks in various parts of Maharashtra with crude bombs and firearms.
Vikhe Patil demanded that Sanstha’s founder Jayant Athawale be detained from its Goa-based headquarters.
“Those arrested by the police recently are nothing but pawns….their ‘mahaguru’ (mastermind) is still out (of reach of police). He should be found out,” the Congress leader said.
The Sanstha had denied that any of the arrested activists were anyway linked to them.
Dabholkar (67) was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants on August 20, 2013, when he was on a morning walk near his home in Pune.
Veteran Left leader Govind Pansare was shot at in Kolhapur on February 16, 2015. He succumbed to his injuries on February 20.
The CBI had arrested Sachin Andure, the alleged main shooter in Dabholkar murder case on August 18.
Former Sena corporator Pangarkar was being questionned by investigating agencies for his alleged role in the shooting.
