Nagpur hit-and-run: War of words between Uddhav Sena, Congress

(From left) BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule; Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare; Congress MLA Vikas Thakre

A Hit-and-run case in which the son of state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule is mired in controversy has led to a verbal duel between the leaders of the opposition parties. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare has alleged that the local Congress MLA Vikas Thakre protected the accused in the case.

Andhare was in Nagpur to follow up on the case. Thakre, who heads the Nagpur city Congress, had said that he knew about the incident that had happened in his constituency. He said that Bawankule's son was not driving, but sitting next to the driver. He added that the Congress would not have kept mum if Sanket Bawankule was driving the car. He had advised politicians and their wards to learn a lesson from the incident. The guilty should be punished, but the innocent should not be defamed, he had said further.

Andhare objected to Thakre's stance, wondering what had led him to protect Bawankule's son, who had not been named in the FIR despite the car being registered in his name and many suspected that he was driving the car, and not his friend Arjun Hawre, who was arrested and released on bail. Police are investigating drunk driving in the case. The blood sample reports of the driver and another occupant are awaited. Andhare met senior police officials and asked them why Sanket Bawankule's blood sample was not sent for testing, and why he was not named in the FIR.

Interestingly, a news channel reported on Wednesday that Hawre's father was associated with the Congress and had contested municipal elections as the party's nominee. Andhare said whether it is Congress or BJP, the law should be the same for all.

Reacting to Andhare, Thakre said he had been fighting the BJP since 1984, and the people had elected him as their representative multiple times.
"I have 40 police cases registered against me for protesting against the BJP. I know how to fight the BJP," he said on Wednesday, adding that he did not work for media publicity. "I will be happy if Andhare reveals more in this case. I will be even more happy if she manages to get the Bawankules booked. I wish her the best and support her. I don't get bogged down by allegations, and I don't want to hurt any leader of MVA."