After Interim Relief Expires, Pune Police Arrest NCP (SP) Spokesperson Vikas Lawande Over Remarks on Warkari Sect Leaders
Pune, 21st May 2026: Pune Police on Thursday arrested NCP (SP) spokesperson Vikas Lawande in connection with his controversial remarks against certain spiritual leaders associated with the Warkari sect, officials said.
Lawande was taken into custody after the interim protection granted to him by a court expired on Wednesday. A case had earlier been registered against him at Wagholi police station over remarks in which he allegedly referred to some Warkari spiritual leaders and followers as “intruders”, triggering outrage among sections of the community.
A senior police official said the arrest was made following due legal procedure after the court protection ended.
The controversy had escalated earlier this month when kirtankar Sangram Bhandare and his supporters allegedly threw black ink on Lawande at Mhatobachi Alandi in Pune district over the remarks.
Following his arrest, Lawande claimed on social media that police action against him was politically motivated. He alleged that those who attacked him were roaming free while he had been arrested “despite no evidence”.
NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule criticised the arrest and questioned the role of the state home department. NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar and party’s state president Shashikant Sutar also rushed to police station immediately after Lawande shared details about him being taken into custody on a social media platform.
Lawande has recently targeted religious figures including Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, Kali Charan, Pradeep Sharma and Swami Anand Swaroop, accusing them of being “outsiders” promoted in Maharashtra by the BJP and RSS.
The issue had also sparked a wider political debate after Sharad Pawar, in a recent magazine article, expressed concern over what he described as “regressive elements” entering the Warkari tradition. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had rejected the remarks, saying they reflected a misunderstanding of the centuries-old tradition.
