NAGPUR, July 26: Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today said the state government would not permit erection of statues of national leaders unless those seeking to erect them undertook responsibility of their protection.

Talking to newsmen here after reviewing the law and order situation in Vidarbha in context of the desecration of Ambedkar statue in Mumbai, he said the government would draft a legislation on this in consultation with leaders of political parties.

Joshi said there were as many as 10,000 statues all over Maharashtra, with Mumbai accounting for 2000. It was imperative to ensure their protection to avoid more incidents like the one which occurred in Mumbai. He disclosed that the district authorities had been instructed to use the services of the home guards and civil defence to protect religious places and statues.

Collectors and Superintendents of Police of all the nine districts of Vidarbha, two Divisional Commissioners, Nagpur Police Commissioner, Ministers of State for Home Gajanan Kirtikar and Prabhakar More, Chief Secretary Dinesh Afzalpurkar, Director General of Police A S Samra, Nagpur District In-charge Minister Nitin Gadkari, Minister of State for School Education Anil Deshmukh and two Inspectors General of Police attended the meeting.

Joshi rejected the demand of some Dalit leaders for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the desecration of Ambedkar's statue and the prosecution of policemen involved in firing in Mumbai. He said the government had already ordered a judicial inquiry and its report was expected in two months. Simultaneously, the state police were making their own investigation. Joshi, however, pointed out that the Dalit leaders had not made a formal demand for a CBI inquiry but voiced it through newspapers.

Joshi to seek Law Ministry's opinion on Shourie's book

Cheif Minister Manohar Joshi today said he would get the contents of columnist Arun Shourie's book on B R Ambedkar Worshipping False Gods: Ambedkar and the Facts Which Have Been Erasedexamined by the law ministry before taking a decision on the demand for banning it.Talking to mediapersons here, he said he had noted the demand of the Dalit leaders in this connection, adding it would not be proper to take a decision without going into the contents of the book.

Savita alias Mai Ambedkar, widow of Ambedkar, said that it would hurt the sentiments of Dalits and alleged the police in Maharashtra were anti-Dalit and that a section of them believed in Shourie's writings.

In his book, Shourie claimed that Ambedkar opposed the freedom struggle and collaborated with the British for material gains.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.