BJP leader Kirit Somaiya stopped on way to Kolhapur

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya on Monday claimed he was stopped by police at Karad in Maharashtra's Satara district while he was on way to Kolhapur.

Somaiya had on Sunday claimed he was barred from entering Kolhapur with the district authorities citing law and order as well as security concerns following his allegations of corruption against Maharashtra Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif.

A few days back, Somaiya had accused Mushrif, the MLA from Kagal in Kolhapur, of indulging in corruption and holding 'benami' entities in the name of his kin, allegations dismissed as baseless by the latter.

Somaiya, who boarded the Mahalaxmi Express in Mumbai on Sunday night to go to Kolhapur, in a tweet on Monday said, "Police stopped me at Karad under prohibitory order."

He also said in his post that he would address a press conference in Karad to expose 'one more scam' of Mushrif.

Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Shailesh Balkawde told PTI that a team of district police reached Karad, and Somaiya was stopped at Karad railway station and served a copy of the (prohibitory) order.

"After we told him that he was prohibited from entering the district, he cooperated and will now return after addressing a press conference in Karad," the official said.

Somaiya on Sunday displayed an order from Kolhapur Collector Rahul Rekhawar that said the former had been prohibited from entering the district under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 'in view of the threat to his life and possibility of law and order situation due to his visit'.

The order also said the police would be occupied with Ganpati immersions and it would not be possible to provide security to Somaiya.

Senior Inspector Sunil Kamble of Navghar police station in Mumbai had also issued a notice to Somaiya, asking him to follow the Kolhapur administration's order.

Somaiya's residence at Mulund in Mumbai falls within the jurisdiction of Navghar police station.

Somaiya had called the development as the 'dadagiri' of the Uddhav Thackeray government.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil had termed the move 'dictatorial' and said the Thackeray government would not be able to stifle Somaiya's voice.

Patil had said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was trying to suppress the voice of Somaiya, who was exposing the 'corrupt' ministers.

The Delhi Police recently arrested terrorists who were planning to execute subversive activities in Mumbai, the BJP leader had said, alleging that 'while terrorists roam freely under the MVA-led government, around 150 policemen surround the house of Somaiya'.