Bajrang Dal denies giving firearm training at camp held near Mumbai, claims air guns were used

Mumbai: The Bajrang Dal, youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, claimed Sunday that no firearm training was given at a camp held by it at a school in neighboring Thane district last week. An NGO had complained to police that the right-wing organisation imparted gun training to students at a camp at a school in Mira Road area. Navghar police are probing the matter. [caption id=“attachment_5648561” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Maharashtra Police. AFP[/caption] When contacted, Sandeep Bhagat, Konkan region coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, said the allegation was a “political conspiracy”. “The participants at `Shourya Prashikshan Varg 2019’ which was held at the school did not handle guns,” he said. “Some of our activists had brought air-guns, which do not require a license,” he said. “We gave training to students in rappelling, stick- fighting, running, long jump….We had given a letter to police about this before the camp was held,” he said. Police also sought response from the shop from where the air-guns were procured, Bhagat added, and it was confirmed that these guns did not require any kind of license, he said. Sub Divisional Police Officer Atul Kulkarni said police had contacted the organizers and asked them to produce licenses for weapons, if any, used at the camp. Preliminary inquiry revealed that air-guns were used for training, he said. “We are conducting further probe,” he added. The school where the camp was held is run by a BJP MLA, said another police official.