Kirit Somaiya urges MHA to review his security after series of attacks

Mumbai: Former Lok Sabha MP and BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Thursday urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to review his security arrangements on the grounds that he was allegedly being attacked by Shiv Sena workers despite being under "Z plus" security of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

In a letter to the MHA, Somaiya said that there should be a review of the security system so that the Pune type incident, which allegedly took place on February 5, could be avoided in future.

"Shiv Sena activists attacked me at Pune Municipal Corporation on February 5, 2022. They attacked me at Washim on August 20, 2021, also. They tried to gherao me at Pimpri-Chinchwad on November 21, 2021. The Shiv Sena activists had attacked me during a black flag demonstration at Thane and Mumbai, while also attacking me at Mulund in 2016," he said.

The BJP leader charged that he has become a target for the Shiv Sena activists after he sought to expose the Uddhav Thackeray government in the state and its various scams. "It is felt that the gundas of Shiv Sena have increased their activities to harass and assault me," he said.

He further said that the February 5 incident at Pune seems to have been well planned, supported by the Pune Police and also the security staff of Pune Municipal Corporation.

"A question is being asked/discussed in spite of Z Category security, in spite of the presence of half a dozen CISF personnel, if such thing happened to Kirit Somaiya, then what would be the status of common man," he said.

Somaiya in his letter also alleged that "the Maharashtra police is directed to ignore attacks on Kirit Somaiya and that is why the police is not doing anything for his security".

"After the Washim attack and the Pune attack, the Home Ministry, the CISF, and Maharashtra Police must become visible and active. It seems that the Police in Maharashtra is informally informed by the ruling leaders to ignore the complaints of harassment and assault on me," he alleged.

The BJP leader further slammed the Pune Police Commissioner for "providing illegal cover to Rakesh Wadhawan an accused in illegal PMC Bank Scam in 2020".

"Pune Police Commissioner, Amitabh Gupta, is the same person who provided illegal cover to Rakesh Wadhawan, an accused in an illegal PMC Bank Scam in 2020. In spite of notices of ED, Gupta arranged transportation to Wadhawan in 2020 to run away from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar," he added.

The BJP MPs from Mumbai and Pune regions have also written to the secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Somaiya's security concerns.

Meanwhile, an FIR was filed against eight Shiv Sena leaders, including the party's Pune district President Sanjay More, for allegedly assaulting Somaiya.

The leader had on February 5 alleged that he was beaten by Shiv Sena leaders inside the premises of Pune Municipal Corporation.