Did not receive any request from Kejriwal: prison officials

A day after two farmers died and ST buses were torched following violence in the sugarcane belt of the state, anti-graft crusader, Arvind Kejriwal, expressed his willingness to meet Raju Shetty, president of Swambhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and Member of Parliament from Kolhapur, who is presently lodged at Yerawada jail.

Hue and cry: A day after two farmers died and ST buses were torched i Sangli district, (inset) activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal expressed his willingness to meet SSS President Raju Shetty, who is presently lodged at Yerawada jail. Pic/Hansraj Patil

Shetty, along with other farmers, were arrested by police on Monday night for unlawful assembly, and have been remanded to 14 days judicial custody. Yesterday, Kejriwal, tweeting from his twitter account, said, "Pune IG (prison) refuses me permission to meet Raju Shetty in Yerawada jail. What kind of country are we living in?"

He further tweeted, "Raju Shetty is an MP and a very respected farmer leader who has been fighting for better sugarcane prices for farmers." u00a0A few minutes later, he tweeted, "Raju Shetty is not a criminal. He was protesting for farmers and was arrested. I wanted to go and meet him in jail. How can the govt stop me?"

Yerawada jail authorities, however, said they did not receive any request from Kejriwal to meet Raju Shetty at the prison. Additional Director General of Police (prison) Meeran Borwankar said, "I have not received any request from him [Kejriwal]. However, tomorrow is holiday and he can meet Mr Shetty a day after tomorrow."

DIG (prison) Rajendra Dhamane of Yerawada jail, too, said that he has not received any request by Kejriwal to meet Shetty in the jail. "Today and tomorrow is holiday and we have not yet received any correspondence from Mr Kejriwal asking for a meeting with Shetty."

Sad Day
Tweeting about the death of the two farmers, Kejriwal said, "How would this Diwali be for the families of the two farmers who died in police firing yesterday because they wanted better prices for their crops."u00a0