Attackers Used Stones, Sticks, Eggs: Journalist Nikhil Wagle Shares Details Of Pune Incident

Journalist Nikhil Wagle’s car was reportedly attacked on Friday by BJP workers in Pune while he was en route to attend an event, according to officials. The workers were allegedly protesting his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and LK Advani following Advani’s receipt of the Bharat Ratna award.

An official from Deccan police station stated that BJP workers hurled ink at the car carrying Wagle, along with two others, Aseem Sarode and Vishwambhar Choudhary, who were traveling under police protection to the ‘Nirbhay Bano’ event organised by Rashtra Seva Dal in the Singhad Road area.

Television footage showed BJP workers surrounding the car at Khandoji Baba Chowk, vandalizing it, and causing damage to the windscreen and side panes.

Despite the incident, Wagle managed to reach the event venue under police protection, the official added. Speaking at the ‘Nirbhay Bano’ event, Wagle stated, “I forgive all those who attacked me. This was the seventh attack on me; I have been attacked six times earlier.”

He later took to microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) to share details of the attack. He said the attackers chased and used eggs, rods, hockey sticks and ink.

“Yesterday’s attack was the worst. Stones, sticks, hockey sticks, rods, eggs and ink were all used. We were chased four times in just half-an-hour and surrounded. The attack took place with the connivance of the police. It is my belief that we all survived yesterday only with the blessings of Phule-Ambedkar,” he shared.

Earlier in the day, there was a standoff between workers from the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi outside the Rashtra Seva Dal premises, with protesters attempting to prevent Wagle from speaking at the event.

Subsequently, a case was filed against Wagle for allegedly making offensive remarks against the Prime Minister and Advani. “Nikhil Wagle has been booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (defamation), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Vishrambaug police station. We are investigating the matter further,” the official stated.

Senior BJP leader Sunil Deodhar had filed a complaint against the 64-year-old journalist at the Vishrambaug police station on Tuesday over the controversial comments, he said.

The senior scribe made the alleged defamatory remarks on social media platform X against Modi and Advani after the Centre announced that the latter would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.

Pune BJP had also requested the police to deny permission to the ‘Nirbhay Bano’ event. Pune city Shiv Sena president Pramod Bhangire said they were not opposing the event but only the participation of Wagle. “We condemn Wagle’s remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP veteran L K Advani. remarks in his social media posts, he has created rift between communities,” Bhangire said.

CASE AGAINST BJP WORKERS OVER ATTACK

The Pune police on Saturday registered a case against some workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly attacking journalist Nikhil Wagle’s car and booked the latter for alleged violation of prohibitory orders.

Based on a complaint lodged by a woman, a first information report (FIR) was registered at Parvati police station under sections 147 (rioting), 336 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, an official said.

The FIR states that the complainant and a few others were protecting Wagle’s car even as some BJP workers allegedly hurled stones at the vehicle and injured them, he said.

A case has also been registered against Wagle and the city unit presidents of the BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress for allegedly violating section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), he said.

“A case has been registered against them as the event was being held without police permission,” said Sambhaji Kadam, deputy commissioner of police.

(With inputs from agencies)