Maharashtra Home Minister Orders Probe After Activist Saket Gokhale Claims Threat From RSS Activists

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Friday said he has ordered a probe after activist Saket Gokhale claimed RSS activists gathered outside his home in neighbouring Thane and threatened his mother.

In a tweet, Gokhale had sought urgent assistance from police and the state home minister and shared a video showing some persons gathered outside his residential building and chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans.

A police official said around 15 persons gathered outside the building where Gokhale lives and shouted slogans. They were protesting against Gokhale for approaching court over the August 5 Ram temple "Bhoomi Pujan" ceremony, he said.

The identity of the persons is not known but Gokhale claimed that they were RSS workers, the official said.

"We are taking very serious cognisance of this and have immediately ordered an enquiry into this issue. We will immediately provide you protection. Thane police have been instructed accordingly," the minister tweeted.

The Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Gokhale for stopping the August 5 "Bhoomi Pujan" ceremony for laying down the foundation stone for building a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Gokhale contended that the ceremony would breach the central government's anti-COVID-19 protocol.

In a tweet on Thursday, Gokhale had claimed that an advertising and social media company owned by a BJP office- bearer was hired by Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer to issue election-related online ads during the 2019 assembly polls.