Maharashtra Home Minister AnilDeshmukh told the Legislative Council on Thursday that he did not know if the enquiry commission looking into the Koregaon- Bhima caste violence had summoned NCP chief Sharad Pawar as a witness.BJP's Vinayak Mete had sought information from the home minister -- who belongs to the NCP -- as to whether Pawar had been asked to present before the Justice (retd) J N Patel commission.Pawar had reportedly alleged that "pro-Hindutva forces" were behind the violence which broke out near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district on January 1, 2018."I am not aware whether Pawar has been called by the enquiry commission or not," the minister said.Ashish Satpute, the commission's lawyer, had told PTI on Tuesday that Justice Patel had noted that Pawar had filed an affidavit before the commission, and he would be summoned to depose.Pawar was likely to be called during the last phase of the hearing, the lawyer had added.Last week, activist Sagar Shinde had filed an application before the commission, seeking that Pawar be summoned in view of certain statements made by him.The Shiv Sena-led state government has asked the panel to submit its report by April 8.
