Azad Maidan witnessed a huge pro-reservation rally on Tuesday, this time by Mahatma Phule Samta Parishad, an outfit for the OBCs.
MUMBAI: Azad Maidan witnessed a huge pro-reservation rally on Tuesday, this time by Mahatma Phule Samta Parishad, an outfit for the OBCs floated by former deputy CM and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal.
Bhujbal’s party was not alone. There were more than 1000 activists, with members of Akhil Bharatiya Arakshan Samiti, medical students from the reserved category, activists from NCP and RPI joining the protests. They carried banners condemning medicos who had been striking against HRD minister Arjun Singh’s recommendation to increase the reservation quota for SC, ST and OBC students. “Why should higher education be the prerogative of the rich alone? Those from lower castes are entitled to good education as well,” said an activist.
Though Bhujbal himself was not present, his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer were there at the Azad Maidan. The two were arrested by the police when they tried to march from Azad Maidan to Nariman Point, where the morcha was supposed to end.
Speaking to DNA, Bhujbal said, “We have been fighting this battle for over 15 years. Besides, reservation is not a new concept— it has been there since 1993.” The dharnas for reservation by political parties would continue in Delhi till May 22.
About Saturday’s lathicharge, he said, “You are not allowed to hold demonstrations in certain areas like the Raj Bhavan without informing the police. Though the lathicharge was a bit extreme, one cannot expect the police to ignore such protestors.”
‘Why make Sankhe a scapegoat?’
State BJP bosses feels a top police official should be held responsible for lathicharge
Manisha Singhal
Suspending Senior Inspector Madhukar Sankhe for Saturday’s lathicharge was not enough, feels the state BJP leadership.
“Suspending a police inspector (for the lathicharge) is not enough. Somebody higher up should be held responsible,” said Vinod Tawade, state general secretary of BJP.
He said the state government had never tried to sort out crises through negotiations. “When the farmers were agitating in Pune and Amravati, then too the police had opened fire. Now, they have lathicharged students,” he said. Tawade, who had been involved in students’ movements as an ABVP member, however, said seats should be reserved for the economically backward classes as well.
According to Atul Bhatkhalkar, party general secretary in Mumbai, the Centre was not concerned about the downtrodden. “It is nothing but vote bank politics that prompted Arjun Singh to take this step. Had the Centre really wanted to avoid gimmicks, it would have announced much earlier that a decision would be taken to encompass the interests of all classes,” he said.
BJP’s Mumbai president Prakash Mehta said, “This government tries to suppress every voice that is raised. It should realise this can’t continue for long.”
Students attend police roll call
Police Commissioner AN Roy’s inquiry into the police lathi charge during Saturday’s protests is resulting in students getting calls summoning them to police stations to “record their statements”.
Two protestors have also received a letter asking them to present themselves at the Nagpada police station.
The students have now appointed a legal counsel, high court advocate Nilesh Pawaskar. The students also alleged that were made to sign arrest forms and not given any information as to under what charge they were detained under. —Rohit Bhatia
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