Sharad Pawar not to appear before Koregaon-Bhima probe panel on Feb 23-24
The Hindu
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has conveyed to the Koregaon-Bhima Inquiry Commission that he will not be able to appear before it on February 23-24.
Maharashtra Minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said this in a video statement on February 22, and added that Mr. Pawar will definitely appear before the probe panel in future.
The Koregaon-Bhima Inquiry Commission had earlier this month asked Mr. Pawar to appear before it on February 23 and 24 to record evidence in connection with the January 2018 violence at a war memorial in Pune district of Maharashtra.
The panel had earlier summoned Mr. Pawar in 2020, but he couldn’t appear before it due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
Mr. Malik said, “The commission had called Pawar saheb to appear before it. He has submitted to the commission in writing that he won’t be able to appear before it this time.”
“He has told the panel that he will put forth his version [before the commission] later. Pawar saheb will definitely be present there in the future,” he added.
According to the Pune police, violence had broken out on January 1, 2018, between caste groups near the war memorial during the bicentennial anniversary of the 1818 battle of Koregaon Bhima. One person had died and several others, including 10 police personnel, were injured in the incident.