The six-day winter session of the Maharashtra assembly concluded in Nagpur on Saturday, but not before the death of a Dalit Ambedkarite activist Somnath Suryawanshi in police custody rocked the house, coinciding with several protests in various places in Maharashtra, against the BJP-dominated Mahayuti government’s alleged bias against Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution of India.

The Maharashtra legislative assembly was prorogued after an order was issued by Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday after the end of the six-day winter session and it has been announced that the budget session of the Maharashtra legislature will begin in Mumbai, on March 3. The Governor’s order was read out by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

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The six-day winter session witnessed uproar due to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks about Dr BR Ambedkar and the violence which broke out in Parbhani city in central Maharashtra, after the desecration of a replica of the Constitution near Parbhani railway station.

On the sixth and final day of the six-day Maharashtra assembly’s winter session, Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad raised the issue of the death of a 35-year-old Dalit Ambedkarite political activist in Parbhani called Somnath Suryawanshi in police (judicial) custody, after he protested against disrespect shown to the Constitution.

The issue has already flared up and become a political hot potato in Maharashtra, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is all set to visit Parbhani on Monday and meet Somnath Suryawanshi’s mother, Vijayabai Suryawanshi.

Earlier on Saturday, Awhad expressed serious doubts about the death of Somnath Suryawanshi on the last day of the winter session, citing the postmortem report which stated that Suryawanshi died of shock due to multiple injuries in police custody.

“The truth should have come out but it has not been revealed in the answer given by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. How did Somnath Suryawanshi from Parbhani die? I read his postmortem report. There were many injuries on his body. Where did those injuries come from? He suffered a concussion due to a broken bone. Who will answer for this? Are we changing the post-mortem report to save the criminals,” Jitendra Awhad said during the Maharashtra assembly winter session.

On Friday, CM Fadnavis had announced Rs 10 lakh assistance to the family of Somnath Suryavanshi in the assembly, but Suryawanshi’s mother refused to accept the assistance.

She said, “I do not accept the Chief Minister’s words. My son was beaten and killed. I want justice for this. I do not believe in the promises of the minister. I do not want Rs 10 lakh. Keep that Rs 10 lakh in the minister’s pocket or feed some policeman. I want my son”.

Even as the Maharashtra assembly debated the Sudhir Suryawanshi police custodial death, NCP founder president Sharad Pawar met Suryawanshi’s mother Vijayabai Suryawanshi in Parbhani on Saturday.

Somnath Suryawanshi’s mother Vijayabai told Sharad Pawar that her son never had any sort of disease as reported in a section of the media. Somnath’s mother demanded that those who took her son’s life should be hanged.

Soon after this, Sharad Pawar demanded that the statement of Somnath Suryawanshi’s family should be investigated and strict action should be taken against the culprits involved in his death in police custody.

“Just like other common citizens, after the desecration of the Constitution, Somnath Suryawanshi also took to the streets along with everyone. Punishing an innocent Somnath Suryavanshi until he died is a serious matter. Therefore, I have come to Parbhani to get first-hand information. The incident is very serious and action should be taken against the culprits,” NCP President and MP Sharad Pawar said in Parbhani on Saturday.

The issue made headlines after 35-year-old Somnath Suryawanshi, who was arrested by the police after the violence that took place in Parbhani, a few days ago, died in judicial custody in the Parbhani District Jail. A replica of the Constitution of India was allegedly desecrated outside Parbhani railway station, which triggered off violence in Parbhani.

Later, Somnath Suryawanshi was one of the 50 people arrested by the Parbhani police after this incident. After the death of Somnath Suryavanshi in custody, there is an uproar across Maharashtra demanding that he should get justice.

Somnath’s mother Vijayabai Suryawanshi said that her son Somnath Suryawanshi was a bookworm. “His only capital was his books. He had hundreds of books. Somnath wanted us to do at least one percent of the work that Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had done,” Vijayabai Suryawanshi said.