Maratha Kranti Morcha leaders say they had nothing to do with Dalit protests

Despite certain quarters blaming Marathas for the clashes against the Dalit community at Bhima-Koregaon, leaders of the Maratha Kranti Morcha have clarified that they had nothing to do with it

Mevani and Khalid had attended the "Elgar Parishad", an event organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon, at Shaniwar Wada in Pune. Violence erupted in Pune district when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa's army. Pic/Ashish Raje

Despite certain quarters blaming Marathas for the clashes against the Dalit community at Bhima-Koregaon, leaders of the Maratha Kranti Morcha have clarified that they had nothing to do with it. The Morcha, an umbrella organisation for the Maratha community, said they supported the Dalits, and that the government must find the real culprits.

Speaking from Pune, Maratha leaders said that they respect the sentiments of their Dalit brethren and would never hurt them or physically assault them.

Kranti Morcha leader Shantaram Kunjir said both communities had decided to bury the hatchet over this issue before the riots even began. "People from both communities had reached a compromise and decided to end the case. The villagers were supposed to appear a day before, but they could not reach because of the unrest that was created by some people with malafide intention of creating a rift between us," he said.

'We know the culprits'
Kunjir said people from both communities knew the masterminds behind the riots. "I will not name them here because it's government's job to find them. The call data records, mobile locations and activities on social media will help the police to nab the real culprits," he added. Senior Maratha leader Rajendra Kondhare said, "We stand by our Dalit brothers, and they support us. There has been a systematic attempt to divide us. These riots too are part of that design."

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