State may remove Ratnakar Gaikwad as CIC

MUMBAI: The demolition of the historic Ambedkar Bhavan at Dadar is fast turning into a real headache for the Maharashtra government with Dalit outfits rebuffing

MUMBAI: The demolition of the historic Ambedkar Bhavan at Dadar is fast turning into a real headache for the Maharashtra government with Dalit outfits rebuffing its offer to rebuild the structure and the Centre seeking a report on the whole incident.

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Ambedkar’s grandsons, Prakash and Anandraj, have turned down chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ offer of government funds and said they would rebuild it through shramdan (voluntary efforts) from July 30 as announced earlier.

In a bid to placate angry Dalit outfits, the state government is now planning to recommend to the governor that Ratnakar Gaikwad, whom they blame for pushing for demolition of the building in his capacity as advisor to the trust that owns it, be removed as chief information commissioner.

Fadnavis is on a sticky wicket as he had laid the foundation for the new building at a function organized by the People’s Improvement Trust. The BJP-led government is now back-pedalling furiously, especially after Tuesday’s show of strength by Dalit outfits and Left parties when their rally brought south Mumbai to a standstill for hours.

It especially doesn’t want to anger the Dalit population in the state when the BJP is facing flak over the assault on Dalit youths in neighboring Gujarat and the damage done by its expelled party leader in Uttar Pradesh Dayashankar Singh through his comments against Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati.

The People’s Improvement Trust demolished the structure, which housed the press Babasaheb Ambedkar used to publish his writings against untouchability, early on June 26 without informing the authorities concerned. This had sparked protests and violent clashes in the area as the news spread in the morning.

Fadnavis admitted on Wednesday that the entire procedure of demolishing the structure was wrong. “If Prakash Ambedkar and Anandraj have some plans, we will construct the structure using Government’s funds,” he had said. However, after a meeting with Dalit outfits later in the day, the brothers refused the offer and said they didn’t want the government to interfere in their plans.

“We are not asking for reconstruction but want the structure to be restored in its original form. Since the Government has announced that the demolition was illegal, the people will come together and restore the same,” said Prakash who heads the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh.

Anandraj, who heads the Republican Sena, said his priority was to ensure the guilty – the trustees as well as Ratnakar Gaikwad -- were arrested. “The Government should concentrate on arresting the guilty as the Ambedkarites are capable of restoring the structure on their own,” said Anandraj.

The People’s Improvement Trust demolished Ambedkar Bhavan and Buddha Bhushan Printing Press on June 26 on the plea that it was a dilapidated structure. They said a grand 17-storeyed Ambedkar Bhavan worth Rs60 crore would be built on the same plot. The trustees had also said Ambedkar’s grandsons had no locus standi as he had wanted his family kept out of the trust’s affairs to prevent dynastic rule.

Meanwhile, Union social justice ministry officials are learnt to have spoken to the state social justice minister Rajkumar Badole on the issue. The minister was also asked what steps the government had taken to reach out to the Dalit groups.