Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday called the killing of journalist Shashikant Warishe a “political murder” and demanded that the Maharashtra government provide aid of Rs 50 lakh to his family, even as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde termed the incident an “attack on democracy”.
Warishe (48) was mowed down by an SUV allegedly driven by land dealer Pandharinath Amberkar in Ratnagiri district on February 6 and died in hospital the next day. Amberkar, arrested for murder, allegedly used to threaten any person who opposed land acquisition for a proposed refinery in the area.
Talking to reporters, Raut said he has written to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to provide financial aid to the slain journalist’s family. “He died due to the government’s negligence. There is pressure on the police to press those who oppose the setting up of a refinery in the area,” he said.
The Rajya Sabha member claimed he had received phone calls asking him not to take up the issue.
“We will not let Warishe’s death go in vain. We will not rest till he gets justice,” said Raut, calling Warishe’s death a “political murder”. An investigation must be done to expose the “mastermind”, he said.
In Kolhapur, CM Shinde termed Warishe’s killing an “attack on democracy”. He said the government will not spare the guilty.
The CM’s comments came even as his deputy Fadnavis said that a special investigation team (SIT) would be set up to probe the murder.
State Congress chief spokesman Atul Londhe demanded that the murder be investigated under the supervision of a high court Judge.
An article written by Warishe against land dealer Amberkar had appeared in a local Marathi newspaper on the morning of the incident, which took place near a petrol pump in Rajapur, some 440 kilometres from Mumbai.
Amberkar is said to be a supporter of the proposed refinery project in the area.
The Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemical project, earlier proposed to be built at Nanar village in Ratnagiri district in coastal Konkan, was scrapped before the 2019 polls at the instance of the Shiv Sena, the then alliance partner of the ruling BJP.
The Union government had last year hinted at its revival at another location.
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