MVA Protests Over Custodial Death of Dalit Youth, Murder of Sarpanch

Mumbai: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Tuesday held protests at Nagpur Vidhan Bhavan over the alleged custodial death of Somnath Surevanshi in Parbhani and the alleged murder of a sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district. The MVA also boycotted the Maharashtra assembly processings to protest the government’s handling of the two cases. The opposition leaders alleged that the “EVM” government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is murdering the democracy.

Suryawanshi (35) was among the 50-odd people arrested in connection with the riots in Parbhani after the glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near Dr B R Ambedkar's statue outside the Parbhani railway station was vandalised on the evening of December 10. He was in judicial custody when he died “due to shock following multiple injuries”. Police said that he complained of chest pain on the day he died following which Parbhani district jail authorities shifted him to the district civil hospital where the doctors declared him dead. However, locals have claimed that it was a case of custodial death.

In Beed, the sarpanch of Massajog village, Santosh Deshmukh, was abducted and murdered on December 9.

MVA legislators staged a protest at the stairs of Vidhan Bhavan demanding swift action in both cases. They alleged that Suryawanshi was arrested because he participated in protests over desecration of the Constitution replica. Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said, “The fundamental right to protest is being crushed in this democracy.”

In the Legislative Assembly, Congress leader Nana Patole raised the issue as soon as the proceedings began. He said that Dalit youth Somnath Suryawanshi died due to police assault. Submitting a motion to suspend all the other work and hold a discussion on the issue, Mr. Patole questioned whether the combing operation conducted by the police in Parbhani was state-authorised and called for a discussion in the House. Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar assured that the issue would be discussed on Wednesday.

NCP (SP) member Sandeep Kshirsagar said Valmik Karad, who is a close aide of a state minister, was the main accused in the murder of the sarpanch. An extortion case has been filed against him but not of murder, he said.

Subsequently, the legislators of Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) staged a walkout.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the “mentally unstable” man who allegedly damaged the replica was arrested immediately, yet violence took place which was unacceptable. The suspect in the desecration of the Constitution has been identified as 45-year-old Sopan Pawar. He also assured that nobody would be spared in the sarpanch murder case irrespective of their political connections.