Kolhapur, July 16 (UNI) Member of Parliament from Maharashtra’s Kolhapur and Congress leader Shahu Chhatrapati on Tuesday condemned the recent violence and attack by anti-encroachment activists on shopkeepers near the Vishalgad Fort here.
“There is no space for violence in progressive Kolhapur and Sunday’s violence at historic Vishalgad Fort was unfortunate and unexpected,” he said in Shahuwadi tehsil, about 70 km from here.
Talking to reporters, Shahu Chhatrapati said that the Maharashtra government should help victims of violence immediately, without showing prejudice against any religious group.
Congress leader Satej Patil and other district party leaders were also present.
After the violence broke out during a protest by local politicians, district administration started removing encroachments from the Vishalgad Fort area. Till Monday evening, about 35 illegal shops were demolished.
Kolhapur and Shahuwadi police have arrested 21 people for violence and booked about 500 people.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed the district administration to remove encroachment from the fort area, official sources said.
Meanwhile, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen state president Imtiaz Jaleel in his post on Facebook said that MIM workers will take out a morcha in Kolhapur on July 19 to protest against violence and stone pelting, damaging shops near Vishalgad Fort.
