19, Sep 2015

Sep 19, 2015 | Age Correspondent| mumbai
In a press conference organised to defend their member Samir Gaikwad who has been arrested in connection with the murder of rationalist Govind Pansare, Sanatan Sanstha, a Hindu extremist outfit, issued a thinly-veiled threat to filmmaker Anand Patwardhan. Advocate Sanjiv Punalekar, representing the Sanstha, had a heated exchange with Mr Patwardhan. The filmmaker was unable to make himself heard. All the journalists who asked questions at the press meet were photographed individually, which the mediapersons objected to.
Mr Punalekar objected to a protest march led by Mr Patwardhan and MLC Kapil Patil of the Lok Bharti party after the killing of Professor M.M. Kalburgi. He alleged that despite the court’s order against any protest in public, the police favoured people who encouraged discrimination towards common Hindus. “When people see that Kapil Patil and Anand Patwardhan are getting good treatment from the police even after flouting the court’s order, there is a possibility they may beat them (out of anger),” Mr Punalekar said.