Nagpur: A woman tried to set herself ablaze outside the Maharashtra legislature complex in Nagpur on Friday in protest against the alleged derogatory remarks against iconic personalities such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by Governor B S Koshyari and some other political leaders.
Police said that the 28-year-old woman identified as Kavita Chavan arrived outside the Vidhan Bhavan complex at around 2.30 pm and suddenly drenched herself with a yellow-colored combustible liquid. Noticing this the on-duty police personnel at the spot quickly overpowered her.
According to police, Chavan, a resident of Solapur district asked why the police has not taken any action against those who have made the allegedly offensive remarks Shivaji Maharaj and social reformers Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule and later raised slogans lauding Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
"Before she could set herself ablaze, the police stopped her. She was then taken to the Sitabuldi police station," inspector Atul Sabnis said, adding that action would be taken against her.
Koshyari had recently said that Shivaji Maharaj was a "hero of the past", while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed the Maratha warrior king sought mercy from the Mughal empire. Their remarks caused state-wide protests.
