PM faces oppn ire on law & order

Vajpayee’s day began with a demonstration by 250 SP activists, who had congregated outside Shanmukhananda Hall to protest against the declining law and order in the city. After inaugurating the Agro-Advantage Maharashtra Global Investors Convention there, the prime minister was confronted by an even more belligerent crowd of Congress activists, who shouted slogans criticising the Sena-BJP government, at King’s Circle, during his onward journey to Raj Bhavan.

So what if hoteliers, doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, film producers and even the local populace in Mumbai have givenup hope of living in a safer Mumbai, the prime minister at least is pretty optimistic. After a meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and his deputy Gopinath Munde, Vajpayee said: “I am aware of the situation. I have asked the chief minister and the deputy chief minister to take effective measures to improve the situation. Iska asar thodehi dino mein saamne ayega (The effects will be seen in few days),” Vajpayee told mediapersons.

The premier similarly reassured Bhujbal and Pichad, who called on him at Raj Bhavan this afternoon and handed over a letter “inviting attention to the chaotic situation prevailing in Maharashtra”. The letter said extortion and murder have become the order of life in Mumbai and accused Shiv Sainiks of collecting extortion money from all over the state. The Opposition leaders also said the police force was demoralised like never before. “He said – `something has to be done’,” Bhujbal told mediapersons.

But the premier’s reassurances failed to calm the fears of asenior police official posted at Raj Bhavan. “We are keeping our fingers crossed till he flies back to New Delhi. What if four people are killed in a shootout en route,” the officer wondered. And that, from an officer of the law.

Bharatiya Janata Party city unit President Kirit Somaiya along with a delegation of party activists called on the prime minister during the day and urged him to expedite the setting up of the paper-bound Mumbai Railway Development Vikas Corporation to ease the travails of Mumbai’s suburban commuters.

Somaiya also asked the premier to urge the state and central governments as well as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to make it mandatory for Sim card buyers to disclose their full identities to prevent threatening telephone calls that have been plaguing the people.