As many as 1,000 activists of the Maharashtra Andha-shraddha Nirmulan Samiti (ANS) and like-minded organisations today took out a procession to observe the third death anniversary of anti-superstition crusader Narendra Dabholkar here.
As the procession winded its way towards the Omkareshwar bridge where Dabholkar, founder of ANS, was shot dead by unidentified assailants on August 20, 2013, supporters of the right-wing Hindu organisation Sanatan Sanstha took out a protest march.
Sanatan Sanstha has come under the scanner following the murders of Dabholkar and fellow rationalist and CPI leader Govind Pansare in Maharashtra.
Police had to intervene to ensure that two processions did not come face to face.
"It has been three years and agencies are yet to nab the real perpetrators of Dabholkar's murder, and there is no progress in the investigation after the arrest of Virendra Tawde," said Mukta, Dabholkar's daughter.
Seeking justice for her father, she urged the people to to join in the rationalist movement. People were in fact slowly joining the progressive movement pioneered by Dabholkar and it was a good sign, she said.
Members of progressive organisations had decided to write to the Prime Minister seeking speedy investigation of the murders of rationalists, she said.
Participants in the ANS's procession sported black ribbons and shouted slogans hailing Dabholkar, Pansare and Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi who was shot dead in Dharwad last year, allegedly by the right-wing extremists.
On the other hand, supporters of Sanatan Sanstha, whose 'sadhaks' (disciples) Virendra Tawde and Sameer Gaikwad have been arrested in the Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases, respectively, protested against "harassment" by investigation agencies.
"Tawde and Gaikwad are being harassed and there is no concrete evidence against them," said Sunil Ghanvat of Sanatan Sanstha.
Several programmes, including a film festival, have been organised in the city to mark Dabholkar's death anniversary.
CBI is probing the Dabholkar murder case after the state police failed to make any headway. CBI made its first arrest -- of Tawde -- in the case in June this year.
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