Anand Dighe
Dharmaveer Anand Dighe | |
|---|---|
| आनंद दिघे | |
| Thane Unit Chief of Shiv Sena | |
| In office 1984 - 2001 | |
| Preceded by | M.D. Joshi |
| Succeeded by | Eknath Shinde |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anand Chintamani Dighe 27 January 1951 Apta, Colaba, Bombay State, India |
| Died | 26 August 2001 (aged 50)[1] Thane, Maharashtra, India |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Political party |  Shiv Sena |
| Occupation | Politician and social worker |
| Nickname(s) | Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb |
Anand Dighe (27 January 1951- 26 August 2001) popularly known as Dharmaveer was an Indian politician and social worker. He was a senior leader and Thane district Unit Chief of Shiv Sena.[2][3][4] He mentored many young politicians from Thane region such as Eknath Shinde, Ravindra Phatak and Rajan Vichare.[5]
Career
Dighe joined politics at young age. He became President of Shivsena's Thane Unit in 1984.[6] Dighe was a grassroot leader with a large fan base.[7] He was popularly known as Dharmaveer.[8] He was considered a powerful muscleman in Thane.[9] He would hold a daily Durbar at his Tembhi Naka residence to hear out/resolve issues faced by Thane citizens along with Shiv Sena party workers.[10]
Dighe was accused in the murder of Shiv Sena party member Sridhar Khopkar, who had allegedly voted for Congress in 1989. Dighe was arrested under TADA and was out on bail.[9][11] The case continued until his death.[9]
Death
Dighe was admitted in August 2001 after a car accident. He suffered from minor injuries on his leg. During his treatment, hospital management announced that Dighe died of a heart attack. His followers believed that he died because of medical negligence and as a result, his followers burned the Sunitadevi Singhania Hospital in Thane where he died. Few followers believed that he was killed due to his popularity.[12] There are many conspiracy theories related to Anand Dighe's death.[3][13][14]
In 2019 Narayan Rane said “what really happened to Anand Dighe. How the conspiracy was planned and how the death was shown as having happened in the hospital later.” The senior Rane, once a Sena leader who defected to the Congress in 2005 and later joined the BJP in 2019, disowned the statements by Nilesh Rane “I will not support something wrong. Dighe did not die because someone killed him. I was the last person to meet Dighe then, and he passed away a few seconds after I left. His condition was very serious when I went there. The Doctors were trying hard. I went outside and called Balasaheb (late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray) and asked him to do something and send Dr Nitu Mandke (a renowned cardiologist)... Nitu Mandke spoke to me, but before he reached, Dighe passed away,” Narayan Rane said adding that allegations of foul play held no water.[15]
Popular culture
Dharmaveer biopic was based on Anand Dighe's life. In this biopic Anand Dighe's role is performed by actor Prasad Oak.[16]
References
- ^ "a Anand Dighe dead, Sainiks set hospital on fire". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ^ "Bal Thackeray Had Special Love and Affection for Thane". Outlook India. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Anand Dighe dead, Sainiks set hospital on fire". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ^ "Shiv Sena leaving no stone unturned to defeat former comrade". Rediff. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ "Eknath Shinde: From humble beginnings to top leader". Deccan Herald. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ Hansen, Thomas Blom (5 June 2018). Chapter 4. Thane City: The Making of Political Dadaism. Princeton University Press. doi:10.1515/9780691188621-006/html. ISBN 978-0-691-18862-1.
- ^ "Dighe's b'day, a show of strength". Indian Express. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ "Shiv Sena MP flays party heads". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ a b c "The Mob's Fond Farewell". Outlook India. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ Hansen, Thomas Blom (5 June 2018). Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-18862-1.
- ^ "Sena faces uphill task in choosing Dighe's successor". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ "A death and a riot". frontline.thehindu.com. 14 September 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ Katakam, Anupama (15 September 2001). "A death and a riot". The Hindu. Mumbai. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ "आनंद दिघेंचा अपघात की घातपात? 'धर्मवीर'मधील शेवटच्या सीनमुळे चर्चेला उधाण". Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "What really happened on August 26, 2001, when Anand Dighe died?". Hindustan Times. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "ZEE5 announces the release of Anand Dighe's biopic 'Dharmaveer'". The Statesman. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.