MUMBAI, Aug 7: The Mumbai Police and the Brihanmumbai Pradesh Youth Congress (BPYC) are poised for a major confrontation during Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral's visit to the city on August 9.

BPYC president Charan Singh Sapra today alleged that he is being constantly harassed by the police and State Intelligence officials who are following him around, tapping his phones and even ``cutting one of (his) phone lines this morning''. He has to give them an account of his movements as though he were a common criminal.

Now, he has more reason for outrage: refusal of permission by the local police authorities to hold a dharna, a procession or any other form of protest during the prime minister's visit to the city.

The BPYC was planning to hold a silent protest against Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral's presence at the Golden Jubilee celebrations organised by the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government on the grounds that these parties have abused Mahatma Gandhi in the past and are still not apologetic about it. Instructions had gone out to Youth Congress activists to tie black scarves across their mouth during the sit-ins, dharnas and day-long hunger strikes. This was essentially to pre-empt any charges of unruly behaviour or disturbance of peace that might be slapped against them in the course of their demonstrations.

However, the BPYC activists did not expect a direct confrontation with the police by outright denial of permission for their protests. ``We might agree to alter our routes according to the authorities' needs and even push further away from the barricades. These are the democratic means of protest available to us. But all our appeals to them have fallen on deaf ears. I am afraid this could lead to a contretemps on D-day,'' Sapra told The Indian Express. While officials at the police station concerned were unavailable for comment, Sapra has accused the state government of utilising the police machinery to crush all peaceful means of protest.

The BPYC was seeking to line the prime minister's route to the August Kranti Maidan on August 9 for its protest. If denied permission, Sapra has threatened to take the police by surprise.

The authorities might have to look over their shoulder every minute of the day at every corner, for the BPYC has indicated that the protest might take novel forms of blocking the PM's route. ``We will break into the Prime Minister's route anywhere, anytime across the city if they do not help us limit our protests to one spot. Our activists will be incognito and the authorities will not even know,'' Sapra said.

Sapra has also threatened hunger strikes by several Youth Congress activists beginning August 9 in protest against the denial of permission for their dharna, irrespective of whether or not they successfully block the prime minister's route.

``These hunger strikes will be continued beyond Independence Day as a protest against the irony of the denial of freedom to citizens in the Golden Jubilee year of India's Independence,'' he added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.