RPI leaders to meet PM

An RPI delegation led by senior Dalit leader R S Gawai and Ramdas Athawale will meet the prime minister to press for the dismissal of the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

It will impress upon the PM the ``deteriorating law and order situation'' in the state.Addressing a press conference, Athawale said the state government had lost ``all moral right to continue in power after the inhuman killing of 10 people in police firing following the desecration of Dr Ambedkar's bust in Ramabai Nagar. He alleged that the government is shielding the police officials who ordered the firing, and said no action has been taken against them. He said there were too many questions yet to be answered, and that the RPI had no faith in the judicial inquiry that had been ordered into the incident. He demanded a CBI probe and said all policemen involved in the firing be immediately suspended.

Speaking on the attack on him at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, Athawale said it had been done by RPI followers, and he had been singled out for the assault. On the issue of party unity, Athawale said ``Party leadership is not anybody's monopoly. If anyone wants to come forward to lead the party, they are welcome''.

IPT sitting on Ghatkopar firing

Justice Hosbet Suresh (Retd) and Justice S M Daud (Retd), under the aegis of the Indian People's Tribunal (IPT), will be holding a separate sitting in the city to enable journalists, the police, or any other persons interested to give information on the firing at the Ramabai colony, Ghatkopar. Speaking to Express Newsline after meeting the colony residents, Justice Suresh said the date for the sitting will be announced shortly.

``We met the residents of the colony, and recorded evidence of 40 to 50 people about the role of the tankers and the firing, and will soon come out with a report on the firing,'' he said.

Justice Suresh said this sitting could take place sometime next Friday. Asked if he would be speaking to any of the leaders, he said it was a peoples' tribunal, and people from all walks of life could come and meet them. The report could be out by August first week, he added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.