Maharashtra security forces expressed infuriation following a former journalist-turned-social activist on Facebook vowing that “at least 400 policemen would be killed to avenge the murder of 40 comrades” in two separate encounters in Gadchiroli district last week, with the top brass ordering probe into the threat handed publicly by the activist.
In his post uploaded on his Facebook page late on Saturday afternoon, Pune-based activist Raosaheb Dokhe dubbed the twin anti-Naxal operations as “fake encounters” and said those killed in the two operations were not Maoists.
*Ex journalist* warns that 400 policemen will be killed to avenge the deaths of Naxalites killed in Gadchiroli. Also threatens Maharashtra CM. Look at his photos. Another Naxalite connection to Koregaon Bhima? pic.twitter.com/PJJs9lLgWo
— Spaminder Bharti (@attomeybharti) May 1, 2018
The translation of the Marathi post reads, “Lal Salam…The Government has gone to town claiming that it had killed 40 Maoists. Were all the people killed in the encounters Maoists? How many policemen were killed? They were definitely not Maoists. In the fake encounters, 40 comrades were killed by the Government. The killings would definitely be avenged. There would be blood in return of blood. To avenge the elimination of 40 comrades, 400 policemen would be killed. It is a challenge. I ask the Fadnavis government to wait for a while (for the killings of policemen)…Your future is pretty bad. Lal Salaam”.
A day earlier on April 28, Dokhe had urged: “Let us kill all those police, who killed our comrades brutally.”
Contacted for his denouncing comments, the 51-year Dokhe said he is an “unarmed person” and his post was merely reflecting an ideology in the wake of what has happened in Gadchiroli.
Speaking to IANS, Raosaheb said “Does the post say I will do anything? What has happened is wrong… I have expressed apprehensions that more wrongs will take place in future. How can I be blamed?” However, he said that he was also “a wronged Dalit” and if injustice continues in this manner, he would not hesitate to “take to arms” to defend the truth and the Constitution.
