Bust of eminent Marathi playwright and humorist R G Gadkari installed in a garden here was knocked out and taken away in wee hours today following which four persons were arrested, police said.
A pro-Maratha group has claimed responsibility for the act saying it was done in retaliation to the "poor portrayal" of Shivaji Maharaj's son Sambhaji in a play written by the 20th century litterateur.
The incident comes days after high-profile 'jal poojan' ceremony performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Shivaji's proposed grand memorial in the Arabian sea.
Today's incident sparked protests from political as well as cultural quarters even as pro-Maratha outfit, Sambhaji Brigade boasted of the act, saying, in his work 'Raj Sanyas', Gadkari had portrayed Sambhaji in poor light.
Sambhaji Brigade said after removing the bust from the garden, maintained by the civic body, their workers dumped it into a river.
The Pune Municipal Corporation has ordered an inquiry into the incident following which four persons were arrested.
"We have arrested four persons, identified as Pradip Kanase (25), Harshvardhan Magdum (23), Swapnil Kale (24) and Ganesh Karale (26) under relevant sections of Damage to Public Property Act and IPC," said DCP (Zone I) Sudhir Hiremath.
He said police have recovered CCTV footage in which four persons were seen uprooting the bust.
Sambhaji Brigade leader Santosh Shinde said, "We were seeking removal of the bust from the Sambhaji Garden and had done necessary correspondence with Pune Municipal Corporation. However, they paid no heed to the demand, prompting our workers to storm the garden and remove the bust."
"It is quite ironical the bust was installed in the garden, named after Sambhaji Raje. Such insult and defamation of Sambhaji Raje will not be tolerated," he said.
However, Congress MLA Nitesh Rane, president of Swabhiman Sanghtana and son of Congress leader Narayan Rane, claimed in a tweet the Maratha group has nothing to do with the vandalism.
Senior Police Inspector Ajay Kadam said a case was registered after the Brigade posted on social media about the vandalism, disclosing the names of those who allegedly executed the act.
"We have retrieved a CCTV footage for the area near the garden and found there were four persons who had removed the bust at around 2 AM," Kadam said.
The bust of Gadkari, considered as one of the great
writers in Marathi, was installed at the main gate of the garden in 1962.
The unfinished play, 'Raj Sanyas', portrays the emotional struggle and relation between Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Pune Guardian Minister Girish Bapat has dubbed the incident as "unfortunate", and said he has issued orders for an inquiry into it.
Pune Mayor Prashant Jagtap condemned the act and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
"I condemn the act and have ordered an inquiry into the incident. Stringent action will be taken against those who are behind this act," Jagtap said.
He appealed to people not to resort to such acts which create a rift in the society.
Condemning the incident, Marathi actor Pushkar Shrotri said unless the bust is reinstalled with dignity, he will not perform in Pune.
"I condemn the incident. Unless Gadkari's bust is re-installed with dignity, I will not perform in Pune," he said in a social media post.
Noted playwright, actor and theatre director, Satish Alekar too echoed the sentiment and said, "this is laughable as the play by Gadkari, which is in question, was incomplete piece of literary work and one cannot make value judgement of such incomplete work as he died before completing 'Raj Sanyas'.
"If they think that vandalising statues will get them votes...But people won't fall prey to their act and if this act of vandalism is for political gain, it's their illusion," said Alekar.
Renown theatre personality and filmmaker Jabbar Patel said there may be a difference of opinion but it cannot be expressed through violent act and that will not change the history.
"Today's incident is condemnable and disappointing," he said.
The Brigade had in 2004 allegedly ransacked a city-based institute for helping an American author who made some objectionable remarks about Shivaji in his book.
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The incident has evoked widespread condemnation from
various quarters.
Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad and Natya Parishad staged demonstration at Sambhaji Garden demanding stern action against those responsible for vandalism. Several noted authors, theatre personalities, people from literary field took part in the protest.
"Today's incident is condemnable and not good for democracy. The act is not going to lower literary contribution of Gadkari," said Milind Joshi of Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad.
Noted writer and president of the 89th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, Shripal Sabnis said, "If anything is perceived objectionable in any literary work, it should be debated through counter writing and discussion and not with violent reactions."
Actor and director Pravin Tarde said the civic body should not reinstate the bust of Gadkari "as we will show the world who was Gadkari through his literature and writing."
Film producer and president of All India Marathi Film Corporation (AIMFC) Meghraj raje Bhosale said, "the vandalism is a ploy to create rift in society and it should be curbed..Entire literary community has been saddened by the incident.
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Meanwhile, two of the four workers, who have been
arrested by police, claimed in a purported video, which went viral on social media, that they take the responsibility of the incident.
The duo said they do not belong to any Sambhaji Brigade and also claimed that the "act was done by four Marathas."
They introduced themselves as Swapnil Kale and Ganesh Karle and said that they own the responsibility of the incident and were "proud of their deeds."
Karle is seen saying in the video that they were inspired by Nitesh Rane's speeches and that inspired them to do this act.
"We do not feel that we have done something wrong," said the duo in the video.
