PUNE: State cooperation minister Harshavardhan Patil on Friday sustained minor injuries in the left eye when two members, said to be from the Dhangar community, flung an ink-like liquid on his face during a public function in Bhigwan town on the Pune-Solapur highway , around 105 km from here.

Doctors treating Patil in Pune said the liquid was a chemical dye and that his vision was not affected.

Two persons were arrested by the Pune rural police on Friday night for the attack. The accused were Sachin Gopal Malgunde and Dhondiba Manik Thorat IPC section 333, 326 353, 143 and 147.

Patil, who complained of irritation in the eye, was given preliminary treatment at a hospital in Baramati in the afternoon and later brought to Pune at 2.30 pm for further treatment. Tension prevailed in Indapur, Patil’s hometown and constituency, following the incident. A large number of Congress workers and Patil’s supporters gathered on the road to condemn the attack. A posse of policemen was deployed in the area. Patil later appealed to the party workers to maintain peace and cooperate with the police.

Additional superintendent of police (Pune rural) Ravindrasinh Pardeshi told TOI that Patil was talking to party workers when three youths approached him. “Two of them flung the liquid from a plastic container at Patil,” he said.

The Dhangar community has been demanding reservation in education and jobs. Members of the community have been organizing rallies in different parts of the state demanding their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. The community has particularly stepped up their demand after the state government granted reservations to Marathas and Muslims.

A doctor treating Patil at the city hospital said the label on the container mentioned the liquid as being gentian violet, which is primarily used in pathology labs. “It is a corrosive liquid solution. Patil sustained injury on a part of the cornea that enables vision. Luckily, the injury missed the vision axis by about one millimetre. He is not likely to lose vision in the eye,” the doctor said.

Another doctor said that besides its use in pathology labs, the chemical is used as a histological stain to examine certain structure of body organs. “The dye, in a diluted form, has medicinal value and is used in the treatment of fungal infections. However, in its concentrated form, it can cause serious damage to delicate body parts such as the eyes,” he said.

The doctor said that while Patil is able to open the injured eye, they have put a dressing on it to help in faster recovery. He will be kept under observation for a day.