The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) demolition drive against illegal religious structures creating hurdles on the roads is likely to slow down.
The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) demolition drive against illegal religious structures creating hurdles on the roads is likely to slow down. The Pune police have asked the civic body not to carry out the drive on festival days, citing apprehension of breach of law and order.
The deputy commissioner of police (special branch), Makarand Ranade, wrote a letter to the municipal commissioner, Mahesh Zagade, on December 8 and suggested the PMC reschedule its programme of demolishing the unauthorised religious structures.
The PMC began the drive as per a Bombay high court order. The PMC plans to demolish 532 structures. After the drive began on December 5, within three days the civic body demolished 44 structures.
The police said there are 13 festival days in December. If the drive is carried out on those days, it could hurt the religious sentiments of the people, possibly leading to law and order problems.
The police have warned that if the PMC wants to continue with the drive, it will be responsible for any untoward incidents linked with the demolition. The police have asked the PMC to reschedule the drive, keeping those dates in mind.
The police headquarters have directed officials of all four police zones not to provide police protection in case the PMC carries out the drive on festival days. The police cited the example of the drive by the Hadapsar regional ward office on December 6, the day Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992. It is also the death anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Sensing that the drive could hurt the sentiments of the people, the police instructed the ward officials to stop the drive in Hadapsar and
Dattawadi areas.
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