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A day after Dr BR Ambedkar’s house, known as ‘Rajgruha’, was attacked by unidentified persons, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday, 8 July, while terming the incident as "shocking", said that the government will not tolerate insult of 'Rajgruh', and that he has asked the police to ensure strict action against the culprits.
Earlier, an FIR was registered by the Matunga Police in this case, news agency PTI reported. One person has been detained so far.
"The premises is not just a sacred place for Ambedkarites, but the entire society. Ambedkar preserved all his writings in this premises. This is like a pilgrimage centre for all Maharashtrians," Thackeray was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said that the government has decided to provide round-the-clock police protection to ‘Rajgruha’ in Mumbai.Sujat, the son of Prakash Ambedkar who is the president of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and grandson of Dr Ambedkar, told The Quint, “The incident happened in the evening. The family (Babasaheb's descendants) were at the residence.
The unidentified men threw stones at two rooms – one was a museum and a photo gallery with Babasaheb's books and belongings and the other was our office/meeting room.”
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The plant pots outside the house were vandalised as well.
While Prakash Ambedkar appealed for peace and urged people to stay calm, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh condemned the incident and assured strict action.
Meanwhile, Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad also condemned the incident and said the attack is not just on 'Rajgruha' but also on the followers of Dr BR Ambedkar.
(With inputs from NDTV & PTI)