Pune: A protest organized by workers of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) at a metro station near the Pune Municipal Corporation office turned unruly as demonstrators clashed with the police. The protest, led by party leader Narendra Pawatekar, was staged to demand action against crimes against women and job opportunities for youth in the metro services.
The protestors entered the metro station discreetly before storming onto the tracks, bringing metro services to a standstill for nearly an hour. This unexpected disruption caused significant inconvenience to daily commuters.
Tense Standoff Between Protestors and Police
As the protest intensified, police arrived at the station in large numbers and attempted to convince the protestors to vacate the tracks. However, the demonstrators refused to comply, warning that any attempt to remove them forcibly would result in them jumping from the platform. In response, authorities set up safety nets and stationed officers under the tracks to prevent any mishaps.
Despite repeated warnings, the protestors continued their demonstration, leading to police intervention. When officers stepped onto the tracks to disperse them, the protestors resisted, leading to verbal confrontations and physical scuffles. Some of the protestors allegedly misbehaved with female police personnel, further escalating tensions.
The situation worsened when protestors reportedly manhandled Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sandeep Singh Gill. This prompted the police to take stricter action, forcibly removing the demonstrators from the tracks. They were detained and transported in police vans before being taken to Shivajinagar Police Station.
Party Distances Itself from Leader, Announces Expulsion
Following the incident, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) distanced itself from the protest, declaring that it was a personal act by Narendra Pawatekar and not an official party movement. Pune city president Prashant Jagtap issued a statement condemning the protest, emphasizing that the party had no involvement in obstructing metro services or engaging in confrontations with law enforcement.
"Narendra Pawatekar has been expelled from the party. His actions were personal and do not reflect our party’s stance. We strongly condemn the inconvenience caused to Pune citizens and the altercations with police officers," Jagtap stated.