The Malabar Hill police station wore a sombre look as policemen watched the news of senior police inspector Madhukar Sankhe’s suspension.
Neeta Kolhatkar/Deepa Suryanarayan
MUMBAI: The Malabar Hill police station wore a sombre look as policemen watched the news of senior police inspector Madhukar Sankhe’s suspension. “We feel sad for him. We don’t know what transpired at the top level for him to be suspended,” said a cop.
Sankhe was suspended on the CM’s orders. The government has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Home minister RR Patil said, “After the lathicharge, Sankhe had told the police commissioner that no such incident took place. We have suspended Sankhe for misguiding the commissioner.”
Republican Party of India MP Ramdas Athavle said, “The government is protecting SI Manohar Kadam for killing 11 people at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, but has gone ahead and suspended Sankhe. I have requested the CM to reinstate him.”
Chhagan Bhujbal of NCP said, “Sankhe’s suspension is sad. I cannot comment on it as it has been taken by the CM.”
BJP state president Nitin Gadkari said, “It was unwarranted and I strongly condemn it. The issue has been raked up once again for political advantage by Congress. BJP is pro-reservation.”
NCP state chief Arun Gujarathi said, “Some solution needs to be found whereby the economically backward classes and general category students are equally benefited.”
I was just doing my duty: Sankhe
Senior inspector Madhukar Sankhe, who has been suspended for lathicharging medical students outside Raj Bhavan on Saturday, said he was only doing his duty.
“When they gathered at Azad Maidan, they informed the cops there. This means they were aware of the procedure. But they did not give intimation to us,” said Sankhe. “Though a board clearly says no one can enter the premises without permission, the students tried to sneak in. This is unlawful and I was just discharging my duty. We tried to pacify them. When they turned unruly, we had to lathicharge.”
About his suspension, Sankhe said, “It’s my seniors’ decision. I accept it and will comply with it. I don’t see this as a punishment.” — Poornima Swaminathan
Medicos vent spleen at Azad Maidan
Say AN Roy is blind, ask him to resign
Rohit Bhatia
Vishal walks with the help of crutches thanks to a fractured foot. The 22-year-old final year medical student was caned while protesting against the hike in reservations outside Raj Bhavan on Saturday. On Monday Vishal limped to Azad Maidan to join the protest organised by the Indian Medical Association against reservations and the police action. He stood in the sun along with almost thousand other medical interns, students of arts, engineering, science and doctors from the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Medical students in their lab coats with black armbands stood for five hours from 11:30 am. Shouting slogans against the police commissioner, they held banners condemning the lathicharge that left many of them with fractures and soft tissue injuries. “AN Roy is blind, ask him to resign,” they screamed in unison. The single microphone was kept busy as doctor after doctor made speeches.
Dr Sunita Kshirsagar, president of the IMA, Mumbai, who met Deputy home minister RR Patil, said, “RR Patil has instituted an inquiry. He has told us that he supports us but this should not become a police versus student issue.” There was no discussion about the reservation issue, she said.
Dentists too grit their teeth
Observe bandh in Thane
Soubhik Mitra
Dentists in Thane pulled down shutters on Monday to condemn the lathicharge on medical students protesting against reservations.
“Our stand is not against reservations for backward class students studying medicine. We are irked by the way the police treated promising doctors. Lathicharge is not the way to counter any protest,” said Dr Suyash Kulkarni, president, Indian Dental Association (IDA), Thane. Dentists would continue the protest throughout the week by sporting black ribbons, he added.
The protest was in support of a nationwide call by dentists across the country. “We received a letter from the IDA headquarters in Delhi and the state headquarters asking us to be part of the nationwide protest,” added Kulkarni.
The bandh did not affect patients.
Net effect: They got united online
Students say they had no leader, just a blogspot
There was no leader motivating them, leading them to the Governor’s bungalow on Saturday to protest against reservation. They had just logged on to the Internet, shared their views and poured out onto the streets, only to be thwarted by baton-wielding policemen.
Medical students have started a blog titled Youth For Equality—Mumbai. They are linked to the anti-reservation blog started by medicos in Delhi—http://youthforequality.blogspot.com.
Neha Dangyach, an intern at KEM hospital, said, “The most important thing about Youth For Equality (YFE) is that it is apolitical. It happened because a group of students, not only medicos, came together. When we first started, we had the St. Xavier’s students supporting us, and they have been with us throughout the protest. Nothing was pre-arranged, it was absolutely spontaneous.” — DNA Correspondent
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