Police in Latur district have registered two separate cases against Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil for allegedly making derogatory comments against minister Dhananjay Munde and his community Vanjari, and inciting communal tension, officials said on Wednesday.
The first case was registered at the Kingaon police station in Ahmedpur taluka of the central Maharashtra district on Tuesday, an official said. According to the complaint lodged by the minister’s supporter Kishor Munde, Jarange made objectionable and intemperate statements against Munde and the Vanjari community that he belongs to, while speaking at a rally at Parbhani on January 4, assistant inspector Sahebrao Khandare said.
“Based on the complaint, a CASE 1: A non-cognisable offence under the BNS was registered at the Kingaon police station CASE 2: A case was filed at Shivajinagar Police Station after a complaint by a local resident non-cognisable offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Kingaon police station under sections 352 (intentional insult), 351 (2), (3) (criminal intimidation) and section 3 (5) (common intention),” he said.
The second case against Jarange was filed on the complaint of a local resident, Ganesh Gunaji Kedar, submitted at the Shivajinagar Police Station in Latur city on ‘Wednesday afternoon. According to Kedar’s complaint, at the Parbhani gathering Jarange allegedly made provocative statements with political motives, which were deemed defamatory towards the Vanjari community and Munde.
The quota activist used language encouraging violence, fostering hostility between two communities and attempting to provoke unrest, he alleged. The police have also registered a case against social activist Anjali Damania, based on the same complaint at the Shivajinagar police station, for allegedly attempting to malign the Vanjari community with her remarks during an interview to a news channel. According to the police, both Jarange and Damania were booked under charges related to promoting communal enmity.
