Sharad Pawar Not to Appear Before Koregaon-Bhima Panel on Feb 23-24, Seeks Time to File Additional Affidavit

The Koregaon-Bhima Inquiry Commission on Tuesday allowed NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s application seeking time to file an additional affidavit in response to the summons issued against him for his appearance on February 23-24. The commission had earlier this month asked Pawar to appear before it on February 23 and 24 to record evidence in connection with the January 1, 2018 violence at a war memorial in the Pune district of Maharashtra.

Pawar had filed an application before the commission seeking time to file an additional affidavit. His plea was accepted by the probe panel on Tuesday, commission’s lawyer Ashish Satpute said, adding that the commission will hold its next sitting in Pune in March. The panel had earlier summoned Pawar in 2020, but he couldn’t appear before it due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik had issued a video statement saying that Pawar will not be able to appear before the commission on February 23-24. He also said that Pawar will appear before the probe panel in future. The commission had called Sharad Pawar to appear before it. He has submitted to the commission in writing that he won’t be able to appear before it this time.” He has told the panel that he will put forth his version (before the commission) later. Pawar will definitely be present there in the future, he added. According to the Pune police, violence had broken out on January 1, 2018, between caste groups near the war memorial during the bicentennial anniversary of the 1818 battle of Koregaon Bhima. One person had died and several others, including 10 police personnel, were injured in the incident.

The Pune Police had alleged that provocative speeches made at the ‘Elgar Parishad conclave’, held on December 31, 2017, in Pune, triggered the violence around Koregaon Bhima. According to the police, the Elgar Parishad conclave organisers had links with Maoists. The NCP chief had filed an affidavit before the commission on October 8, 2018.

In February 2020, social group Vivek Vichar Manch member Sagar Shinde submitted an application before the commission, seeking the summoning of Sharad Pawar in view of certain statements made by him in media about the 2018 caste violence.

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