NCP leaders stage protest, demand action against websites for offensive post on Savitribai Phule

Leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Mumbai police commissioner's office demanding action against two websites for alleged objectionable articles on renowned social reformer Savitribai Phule.

Senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal and scores of party workers were among those who participated in the protest.

A letter signed by Pawar, Patil and Bhujbal to the Mumbai police commissioner claimed the Indic Tales and Hindu Post websites have posted objectionable articles against Phule, regarded as a pioneer in the field of female education.

Also read | NCP demands action against 'derogatory' articles against Savatribai Phule

The letter alleged the act was done with a purpose to incite people. “In the Maharashtra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar, the act of insulting Savitribai Phule is cheap and we strongly protest against it,” the letter said.

On Monday, Bhujbal wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, seeking action against a website and an author of an allegedly offensive article on Phule.

"The portal, in the name of rearranging history is destroying history. This anti-social tendency needs to be crushed," he had said, adding the state government must take the issue seriously and ban the website.