Bhujbal’s statement about MLAs’ arrest agitates Opposition

Bhujbal, in his statement stated that 17 persons, including three BJP MLAs Raj Purohit, Mangalprabhat Lodha and Atul Shah, had been arrested on Thursday by the D B Marg police, when they defied prohibitory orders and insisted on raising a BJP flag on an unauthorisedly installed flagpole opposite Minerva cinema theatre in the Opera House area.

He stated that the local police asked them to disperse as prohibitory orders had been clamped under which assembly of five or more persons was prohibited. He said that defying the orders,the MLAs refused to leave and proceeded to raise the party flag, which was on an unauthorised concrete structure.

Bhujbal further stated that when the MLAs chose to take the law into their own hands, the police arrested them at 11:35 a.m. He said that the police were prepared to release them at 12:30 p.m. but the MLAs refused to be released. Finally, around 3:30 p.m., they were released on personal bonds.

Bhujbal, then replied to the charges made against him by Gopinath Munde and other Opposition members, claiming that the charges were baseless. He pointed out that Raju Merchant had been provided with a security cover of one armed police constable following threats to his life. He further stated that there was no truth in Munde’s allegations that a Bhujbal Brigade had been dictating transfers of police officials.

He claimed that not even a single police official had been transferred due to any intervention by the brigade. He, however, pointed out that the brigade, on the contrary, had played a crucial role in the arrest of a Police Inspector from Nashik, Jagan Pimpale, who was prima facie found involved in a petrol adulteration racket.

Bhujbal’s statement evoked anger from opposition members Rane, Datta Nalawade and others, who pointed out that while under Section 47 a minister could make a statement in the House and that under Section 48 a member could make a personal clarification, Bhujbal has chosen to club both together. Speaker of the Assembly Arun Gujarathi then said that technically the objection was correct and said that Bhujbal’s statement would be split into two, for the sake of the record.

Meanwhile, the three BJP MLAs who had been arrested, requested that they be allowed to speak on the incident. The Speaker said that they would be allowed to speak only after taking up some other business on the agenda. However, opposition members objected to the same and rushed to the well of the House raising slogans.

Later, when they were allowed to speak, Lodha accused Bhujbal of making a false statement. He said that the three MLAs were released at 3:30 p.m. only after Munde had arrived at the police station, and not at 12:30 p.m. as stated by Bhujbal.

He further said that they had been detained for four hours without havingcommitted any offence and that action should be taken against the erring police officials, Merchant’s security be withdrawn and the issues on the agenda of the Assembly concerning the arrested MLAs be taken up again.

He pointed out that less then 50 metres from the site in question, a NCP flag had been displayed and that the government had arrested them for political reasons. He said that it was the 20th foundation day of the BJP party flags had been raised all over the country.

Purohit and Shah lambasted the police for their highhandedness. They pointed out that there were only 12 boys and four girls of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJP’s youth wing) but excessive police force had been deployed to check their activities.

Other opposition members joined them in creating a din in the House, with some shouting slogans against Bhujbal, who was seen asking members of the treasury benches to stand up and retaliate. Rane then told the House that the Opposition was staging a walkout in protest against Bhujbal’s statement and the manner in which he behaved in the House.

When the Opposition returned after some time, Bhujbal said that he stood by whatever he had said and that the MLAs were arrested because they were patronising an unauthorised construction. He said that it was all pre-planned by the BJP. "Or why do they need three MLAs to raise one flag?" he asked.

He said that the government would deal sternly with any person in such matters irrespective of whether he was an MLA or a minister. He announced that the government would launch a special campaign to remove all unauthorised flags and that there was no political vendetta in the case.