Law & order: Pawar to meet Governor

MUMBAI, Nov 14: While his heart bled for Mumbai, former Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar also revved up the Congress's election machi...

MUMBAI, Nov 14: While his heart bled for Mumbai, former Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar also revved up the Congress’s election machinery with an eye firmly on the approaching elections.

Convening a meeting of over 100 hoteliers, doctors, lawyers, traders and other businessmen at the Y B Chavan Centre today, he discussed measures to check the fast disintegrating law and order situation in the metropolis.Though Pawar, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, never once mentioned the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in the state, he trotted out the cliches, saying, “We need to take the government to task for its acts of omission and commission. We also have to think of ways in which we, as citizens, can bring Mumbai back to its lost glory.” But with these platitudes in perfect juxtaposition, the former chief minister was clearly appealing to Mumbaikars to spurn the saffron alliance and rally behind his party, which views the people of this city as “responsible citizens”.Briefing the media after themeeting, he said he would meet Governor Dr P C Alexander and urge him to initiate steps to gear up the government machinery to effectively control the deteriorating law and order situation in Mumbai.

This was the second attempt by the Congress to score over the ruling alliance, with Leaders of the Opposition in state Legislature, Chhagan Bhujbal and Madhukar Pichad appealing to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the law and order situation during his visit to Mumbai last week.

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Pawar, who claimed today’s was not a political meeting, said: “As responsible citizens, we cannot be helpless bystanders. There has been gross mismanagement and poor administration by the state government.” Referring to the incidents like the Jayabala mugging, he said, “I appeal to the common man of Mumbai to come forward and launch a Quit Mumbai movement against gangsters.”

Pawar also announced the of formation of a non-political committee under former sheriff Nana Chudasama to coordinate with the government and thepolice and to mobilise citizens to check rising tidal crime wave. He said the Mumbai police, once compared to Scotland Yard, is in need of immediate modernisation and the police force lacks discipline and morale. According to a recent survey by the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra, traders and other professionals have paid over Rs 200 crore to gangsters as extortion money, he pointed out.

He added, “Police officers with close links to political leaders should be transferred out of city. Police stations must be free from interference by any political party and the home minister should personally ensure this,” he said.

Despite his restraint, Pawar couldn’t help take a dig at an old rival. So he saved his piece de resistance for the very end. Referring to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and his family, the former chief minister remarked: “Senior police officers brought to the city at the behest of extra-constitutional authorities should be immediately transferred.” He was referring to a formerpolice commissioner who was allegedly installed in this vaunted post at Thackeray’s behest.

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President of the Hotel Owners’ Association, S M Shetty, said about 25 per cent of hotel owners in Mumbai have left the city after receiving extortion threats from the underworld. “We shall stop paying taxes from January 1, 1999, if there is no improvement in the scenario.”

Congress MP, Murli Deora, Madhukar Pichad and Chhagan Bhujbal, former home minister Padamsinh Patil, Ashok Dhatrak and former sheriff Nana Chudasama were also present.