Marathi literary stalwarts including president elect of the Sameelan D M Mirasdar have rallied behind Kailas Bhingare, owner of a Marathi book library in Kothrud, who today commenced a fast unto death at the PMC gates to protest against the demolition of his library and two other stalls owned by his family.

``Bhingare is exerting undue pressure, but the corporation will not fall prey to it,'' Municipal Commissioner Ramanth Jha asserted at the civic general body meeting today.

Interestingly, Bhingare has charged the civic administration of violating the orders issued by none other than Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. He claimed that the Chief Minister had directed the civic administration to provide an alternate site to run his library.

He also pointed out to this reporter that noted Marathi writers including P L Deshpande, D M Mirasdar, Subhash Bhende, Bal Pandit, cartoonist Mangesh Tendulkar and many journalists had praised his efforts to propagate Marathi literature and inculcate the habit of reading among the younger generation through the Saraswati Library established by him in Kothrud in early 1990's.

He had even organised a Sahitya Sameelan, under the aegis of the Saraswati library, for budding writers, a couple of years ago in Kothrud.

When corporator Ujwal Keskar sought to know if the Chief Minister had issued any orders to the PMC as claimed by Bhingare, the civic chief said that the State government had only sought details of the case.

``We have sent the necessary information to the government,'' Jha said repeating that the administration would not yield to the pressure tactics adopted by Bhingare.

When contacted, chief of the civic anti-encroachment squad Dinkar Kamble justified the demolition of the three stalls, including the one which housed the Swaraswati library, owned by Bhingare and his family.

According to Kamble the three stalls, one at Rambaugh colony, the other at Bharatkunj Society and one near the Daulat Society at Kothrud survey number 127 were allotted to the Bhingare family in 1988. All the three stalls, including the one near Daulat society which housed the library, were demolished in January 1996.

The stall at Rambaugh colony was pulled down as Bhingare had not paid the rent for the stall ever since it was allotted. The stall at the Bharatkunj society was razed as Bhingare had illegally extended the stall and had not removed the unauthorised structures despite a show cause notice being issued to him.

Justifying the demolition of the stall which housed the library, Kamble said that Bhingare had written a letter to the PMC stating that he did not want to run the library as he was not getting enough income out of it. Bhingare had sought for a change in purpose of the business and had requested the PMC to allow him to use the stall to run an ISD/STD telephone booth.

The PMC had granted the permission. However, even after setting up the telephone booth, Bhingare continued to run the library and also extended the stall area by erecting illegal structures where he started a video cassette library and a shop, Kamble said.

``We were never against allotting him a space to run the library. But, see for yourself what his demands are,'' Kamble said, showing a copy of the letter issued by Bhingare to the civic administration on February 27, this year.

In his letter, Bhingare has demanded that he be re-allotted the three stalls to run a juice bar and a Xerox centre! Also, besides these stalls, he has demanded that the corporation allot him a separate plot to run the library.

``He is portraying us as hostile to the Marathi literary movement,'' Kamble said adding ``It seems that he is trying to cheat the PMC and even the literary figures supporting him.'' Kamble also showed this reporter the letters written to him by cartoonist Mangesh Tendulkar, Subash Bhende and Leela Dixit, in which they have stated that Bhingare had misguided them and they were not against the action initiated by the PMC against the illegal constructions made by Bhingare.