Bhima Koregaon raids: I support nationalists and am against anti-nationalists, says complainant Tushar Damgude

Meet Tushar Damgude, the Pune-based individual whose complaint resulted in the arrest of the five activists. 

In an interview with the Indian Express, Damgude has said that action should be taken against anyone who go against the principles of the Constitution.

Damgude has maintained that Bhima Koregaon accused Shambaji Bhide should be arrested if proven guilty, but pictures of him standing with the Hindutva leader has raised eyebrows. "People may talk about my background, but the court only asks for evidence. For people arrested recently, you can check the list of orgnaisations listed by Manmohan Singh govternment. P Chidambaram too once said urban Naxalism exists," Demgude said while speaking to news agency ANI.

Damgude’s complaint, which was converted into an FIR on January 8, alleged the violence at Bhima Koregaon on January 1 was instigated by leftist activists with alleged Maoist links.

“I did not realise things would go this far when I filed my complaint. I support anyone who is a nationalist and I am against anyone who is anti-national. But today I am being hounded by the media as if I am an accused myself,” he told Scroll.

Earlier, the Supreme Court directed the Pune Police to send three activists, arrested for suspected links to Maoists, back to their homes, after the Supreme Court ordered that they be kept under house arrest till September 6.

The Supreme Court has ordered that the five activists, arrested in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima violence case, be kept under house arrest, observing that dissent was the "safety valve" of democracy.

District and sessions judge K D Vadhane here ordered police to send Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira back to their residences, where they will be kept under 'house arrest'.