Well-planned conspiracy to kill me, govt behind attack: Pravin Gaikwad
'The attackers wanted to kill me but my associates came to my rescue,' Gaikwad said. His associates claimed he found it difficult to breathe as the black substance covered his head, eyes, face and neck. 'They did not even allow him to wipe off the substance,' one of his supporters said.
Gaikwad said as he was attacked, he tried to enter his vehicle. 'But the attackers followed me and tried to kill me,' he said, adding the government was behind it. 'The attackers were present in Akkalkot before I arrived there. The police knew they were there. The government is responsible for the attack,' he said.
He said he had gone to Akkalkot for a felicitation function. 'The organisers had invited me for a felicitation function… The person to be felicitated had done good work in education and social field. When I arrived, crackers were burst and music was being played. Then there was a sudden attack… Though it was sudden I think it was well-planned. I suspect the organisers were also involved because they did not file any case against the attackers nor was there any intervention from them. The attacker is the BJP's Yuva Morcha general secretary,' he said.
Gaikwad said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is also the state Home Minister and responsible for the law and order situation in the state. 'Fadnavis should take moral responsibility for the attack on me,' he said.
He said they don't have personal enmity with accused Deepak Kate but have ideological differences. 'We believe in the ideology of Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar. We follow the Constitution of India while they believe in Manusmriti. We have a progressive mindset.'
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