Pune Protest Turns Violent as Congress Leader's Tipu Sultan Remark Sparks Outrage

There was stone pelting near Congress Bhavan, the Pune headquarters of the Congress, on Sunday afternoon after workers of the party and the BJP came face to face during a protest over a remark that Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal had made about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Tipu Sultan. The incident came hours after an FIR was registered in Pune against Sapkal for his comment that allegedly compared Tipu Sultan to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. BJP Pune city president Dheeraj Ghate filed the police complaint stating that the Congress leader’s statement hurt the sentiments of those who revere the Maratha king. Sapkal made the remark while talking about the controversy over a Tipu Sultan portrait displayed in the Malegaon deputy mayor’s office. BJP workers led by local leaders protested outside Congress Bhavan against Sapkal’s statement, while a number of Congress workers gathered there in support of their state president. Multiple teams of police were deployed at the site. As the situation escalated, stone pelting was reported around 1 pm. Some people were injured and some vehicles were also damaged in the incident. Details of the number of people injured and the extent of their injuries are awaited. “Our teams on the ground have responded to the incident. We are gathering details,” said a senior police officer.