Noting that the security situation after the forcible occupation of Indu Mills could be one step away from anarchy,the Bombay High Court on Tuesday severely criticised the Republican Party of India (RPI) and the state police for allowing the incident to take place. Recalling the 1993 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya,the Bench of Justice D K Deshmukh and Justice Anoop Mohta asked the state government if it wants another communal situation. We saw what happened in Ayodhya; that one incident changed history. This could be a repetition of the same. It has the potential, Justice Deshmukh said. Earlier,RPI lawyer Sangharaj Rupawate argued that the Central and state governments are playing with the feelings of the people and are not paying due respect to Babasaheb Ambedkar. To this,the judge said,Dont you think you are the ones who are ignoring him? Ambedkar was the architect of the Constitution and you are resorting to completely unconstitutional means. On December 15,RPI activists ransacked the premises of Indu Mills in Dadar,demanding that the entire area should be converted into an Ambedkar memorial. This followed a similar action on December 6,when they barged into the mill and installed statues of Ambedkar and Lord Buddha. Following the attack,the National Textile Corporation moved the Bombay High Court demanding that the activists should be removed from the premises and action taken against them. Arguing for the petitioners,Additional Solicitor General Darius Khambata said they wrote letters to the Chief Minister and the state police demanding action against the agitators. However,the police asked the petitioners to take the initiative to take action in the case,he said. Khambata subsequently told the court that the reply reflected a total breakdown of law and order. The court described the incidents as extremely frightening and observed,If government property is not safe,what will happen to private property? The authority of the state government has been eroded by this action. The next step could be a similar erosion of authority of courts. The judges asked government pleader G W Mattos to explain why action has not been taken against the occupiers and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.
