On Saturday, Vikas Lawande, spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), was attacked by members of the Warkari community near Alandi, Maharashtra. The assailants, led by Sangram Bhandare, reportedly threw four bottles of ink on Lawande and threatened him over his statements regarding the community and its religious leaders. Lawande described how he was chased and forced to stop his vehicle, where he was subsequently threatened and attacked. Bhandare justified the action by claiming Lawande's remarks were insulting to their religion. In response, NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar condemned the incident, arguing that it reflects a troubling intolerance in Maharashtra, especially towards criticism of social practices. He noted that the police were initially reluctant to file Lawande's complaint, raising concerns about the protection of free speech in the region.