On January 1, 2018, a much larger number of Dalits came to Bhima-Koregaon to celebrate the 200th anniversary.
Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote "desecrated the samadhi of a Dalit icon near Pune on December 29, sparking the riots that engulfed Mumbai on Tuesday and could put the city in a gridlock...". https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cover-story/the-two-who-brought-your-city-to-a-halt/articleshow/62344275.cms The timing of their ransacking of the samadhi located in a village named Wadhu in Pune district was telling. They desecrated the Samadhi on December 29, knowing fully well that thousands of Dalits would gather on January 1 at a nearby village called Bhima-Koregaon to celebrate the anniversary of the defeat of the Peshva army at the hands of British forces comprising mainly Dalit soldiers.
A pune based Businessman, Tushar Damgude’s complaint, which the police filed as a first information report on January 8, alleged the violence that marred a Dalit commemoration at Bhima Koregaon on January 1 was instigated by leftist activists with alleged Maoist links who had spoken at a public meeting called Elgar Parishad the previous day. https://scroll.in/article/892596/im-a-small-person-meet-tushar-damgude-whose-police-complaint-sparked-the-crackdown-on-activists He accuses activists such as Sudhir Dhawale, Varavara Rao and Jignesh Mevani of spreading violent ideas and inciting Dalits to rise against the upper castes.
The Elgar Parishad
On the previous day , December 31, 2017, about 260 organizations represented by a very diverse range of intellectuals, activists, and retired judges, along with a Marathi Dalit hip-hop group that performed on stage, came together on a common platform. Known as the Elgar Parishad (‘loud declaration committee’), this event, convened by two retired judges, Judges P.B.Sawant and B.G.Kolse-Patil. A belated version of the Pune police, constructs the event as organised by members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), with the aim of “spreading rebellious thoughts”, instigating violence at Bhima Koregaon and establishing a nationwide “anti-fascist front” to “wage war against the government”.- https://sabrangindia.in/article/what-elgar-parishad-and-who-oganised-it..
The Charges : That the arrested individuals are acting on behalf of,or are members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoists) or simply ‘the Maoists’, and that he Elgar Parishad was an ‘anti-fascist’ front (an ironic phrase since this implies that the present government is fascist) [link]
That the arrested individuals were plotting to assassinate the Prime Minister
That the arrested individuals had made inflammatory speeches at the Elgar Parishad
As it turns out, most of those arrested were not even at the event, the charges about the assassination plot had not even a single piece of evidence produced, and the charges about the links to Maoists entirely shown to be based on fabricated evidence released immediately to the media. As of now, nine individuals are in jail.
The Ambedkar-King Study Circle and India Civil watch have collected over 120 video messages in support of the activists. Here are some of the videos: https://indiacivilwatch.org/video-testimonials-in-support-of-the-bk-11/
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bhima-koregaon-battle-anniversary-state-ministers-pay-respects-7128605/
Elgar Parishad: We will hold event on January 30, say organisers after Pune Police deny permission
TIMELINE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Bhima_Koregaon_violence
https://indiacivilwatch.org/issues-b12/timeline-of-bhima-koregaon-cases/
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2020/06/06/bhima-koregaon-case-a-comprehensive-timeline/
https://thewire.in/law/justice-hosbet-suresh-bhima-koregaon-arrest-threats
https://thewire.in/law/justice-hosbet-suresh-bhima-koregaon-arrest-threats