Sanatan Sanstha a 'dangerous' outfit, ban it: Ex-CM Chavan

Pune: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday termed Sanatan Sanstha as a "dangerous" organisation and renewed his demand for a ban on it following the arrest a member of its affiliate in connection with the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar. Virendra Tawde is a member of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS), an offshoot of Sanatan Sanstha, and was arrested by CBI at Panvel near Mumbai last night. The Congress leader, during his tenure as the Chief Minister (2010-2014), had sent a proposal to the Centre seeking a ban on the Goa-headquartered radical group in the wake of Dabholkar's murder in Pune on August 20, 2013. Reacting to Tawdes' arrest, Chavan said "the Maharashtra Chief Minister should issue clear directive to its lawyers to make out a case for banning Sanatan Sanstha against whom the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has proofs. "The State government and Union Home Ministry have an important role to play in effecting ban on this outfit which is targeting and eliminating those opposed to its ideology. The kingpin of this dangerous outfit should be booked and punished," Chavan said, adding that the Modi government is obliged under the Constitution to act against terrorist elements which pose a threat to the country.