BJP leaders are not allowed to enter Ramabai Nagar: Mahajan

Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Pramod Mahajan, on the recent dalit upsurge in Bombay. Excerpts from an interview to the Marathi newspaper Navakal:

You visited your constituency to attend some programme.

A function of some coaching class. It was decided earlier.

But you did not visit the residents of Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, which is a part of your constituency.

(Quietly) The BJP has been in a fix for the last one month. BJP leaders are not allowed to enter Ramabai Nagar. Then how can we visit them? I can go there under police protection, but what's the use It will be just an exhibition. I don't like such exhibitions.

But you can go there to pacify them. You can listen to their grievances. Why aren't you trying?

Those who stop the BJP and Sena leaders from entering Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar are not the local residents. A handful of vested interests are behind this. They would like to keep this situation at a boil. I was in Kanpur when I heard about the firing incident and I immediately came down to Bombay. I was there for two days. I wasn't here on a picnic but was present to assess the situation. I did not visit the place as the situation was tense. I behaved responsibly, so why the objections?

There was a demand for the immediate dismissal of the State Reserve Police inspector who ordered the firing on the mob. The BJP wanted his dismissal only after an inquiry which could prove his guilt. But he was transferred before the completion of the inquiry. Why?

What can I tell you about this? The government might have found something against the officer. It was the home minister's decision. I am a national general secretary. I take policy decisions. I don't attend the day-to-day administration of the state.

The attack on Opposition leader Chhagan Bhujbal's official residence was quite serious. It is not the day-to-day problem of the state, but the BJP seems to have no solid stand.

(Somewhat annoyed) I'd criticised the attack and asked for an inquiry. The police registered an offence and took action. What else can I do?

They were booked under small offences. Later they were released on bail. Why weren't they booked under Section 307 which deals with attempt to murder?

Who will decide it. You journalists or the police one of the police officers told me that he was not even bruised. How can they book them under Section 307?

That's because he hid himself in his bedroom. Can you say that there was no attempt to murder him just because he was not even bruised?

It is an extremity to request for arrests under Section 307. It is for the police to decide. It's not in my capacity. I can only press for an inquiry.

Translated from the Marathi by Prasanna Zorey