Pune: Playwright Ram Ganesh Gadkari's bust vandalised, Guardian Minister Girish Bapat orders inquiry

Maratha organisation Sambhaji Brigade allegedly vandalised the statue of Marathi poet and 19th century playwright Ram Ganesh Gadkari at Pune's famous Sambhaji Park.

The organisation has alleged that Sambhaji was wrongly portrayed by the writer in 'Rajsanyas'. Four men uprooted the bust and then threw it into the nearby Mutha river. The garden is located along Jangli Maharaj Road.

Reacting to the incident, Pune Guardian Minister Girish Bapat said that orders have been given to the police to conduct an inquiry into the alleged vandalism of the bust.

Vinayak Mete, who is heading the committee for Arabian sea Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial, said, "Even if at all one wants to contest Gadkari's writing in the said play, removing statue was wrong."

"Gadkari was a great writer, poet and protesting by removing the statue was not correct," Mete added

Meanwhile, Medha Kulkarni, an MLA from Kothrud Constituency, alleged that repeated incidents like removal of Dadoji Konddev statue and now Gadkari's bust raised doubt about whether ruling parties in Pune Municipal Corporation supported their acts.                 

Pune Mayor Prashant Jagtap announced that the bust will be reinstalled.

(With inputs from Shailendra Paranjpe)