A Shiv Sena MLA was today held by the Chandrapur police for allegedly threatening and abusing a village patwati (revenue official), who was taking action against sand mafia in the area, police said.
Balu Dhanorkar was arrested after a complaint was filed by patwari Eknath Gadekar filled yesterday, Chandrapur Superintendent of Police Sandip Diwan said.
Police officials said Gadekar took strict action against the sand mafia which was operating in the area. The mafia was allegedly illegally excavating and transporting sand through trucks.
Gadekar had halted and searched a truck allegedly carrying illegally excavated sand in his jurisdiction. The truck driver failed to produce any legal document when asked by him, they said.
He asked the truck driver to park the vehicle at tehsil office but the driver fled from the spot.
Dhanorkar summoned Gadekar to his Warora office on January 31 and allegedly reprimanded him for taking action against the sand operator, police added.
Local MLA Dhanorkar is alleged to have berated the patwari and even threatened to kill him if he fails to withdraw the case against the sand operator, they said.
A case under section 294 (obscene act) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was registered against the MLA and he was later released on bail, officials added.
AAP also lashed out at the ruling SAD-BJP alliance over
the issue. Its leader Ashutosh said it reflects BJP's desperation as his party is "sweeping" the polls scheduled to be held early next year.
"Now ruling Akalis do not have any issue with them for contesting polls and they know that they are losing their ground.
"Therefore they have resorted to these things which are highly condemnable. It is a political conspiracy to defame AAP ahead of elections. We knew that ruling party will indulge in such cheap moves," AAP's Punjab Convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur said.
Kejriwal will be in Amritsar today as part of his three- day visit to Punjab. He will release party's youth manifesto, besides meeting different section of the society at Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Jalandhar and Khanna.
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BJP and Congress attacked AAP over the issue saying
Arvind Kejriwal's party has been exposed.
"People have seen the real face of AAP, which is trying to create communal tension in Punjab for electoral gains but it will not be successful," BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said AAP was led by a person who is "mad with lust of power". "AAP is a communal party and it will exploit any emotive issue," he said.
