NCP leader's car stoned in Maharashtra

Beed (Maharashtra), Jan 5 (IANS) An angry mob Monday pelted stones at the vehicle of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde while he was proceeding for praying at a samadhi here, police said.

Munde, who is leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, was not hurt in the incident, a police officer said.

Angry activists, reportedly belonging to a rival political party, pelted stones at Munde's car and other escorting vehicles when they neared Bhagwangad for offering prayers at Bhagwan Baba's samadhi.

The activists protested by raising anti-Munde slogans and asked him to go back as they did not want him to take darshan at the samadhi.

Despite appeals by local police, the activists refused to budge or allow passage to Munde's motorcade for proceeding to the samadhi.

Nobody was injured in the incident, he said.

A visibly upset Munde - the estranged nephew of former union minister, the late Gopinath Munde - termed the protests as "pre-planned and politically motivated" before deciding to forgo the darshan.

The golden jubilee of Bhagwan Baba's samadhi is currently being celebrated and is slated to end Tuesday with a grand function to be attended by top political leaders of the state.

"Whenever I achieve anything in life, I go to Bhagwangad and express my gratitude... I was welcomed all along the route, except near the temple. The manner in which I was prevented from taking darshan today (Monday) is condemnable," Munde said before leaving the venue.

Munde quit the Bharatiya Janata Party when his uncle Gopinath Munde was alive and also contested the October assembly elections from Parli-Vaijnath constituency against his cousin Pankaja Gopinath Munde, who is now a Maharashtra minister.