Statue quo for Dadoji

Day after Mayor Rajpal says Lal Mahal Konddeo statue will be removed, he announces status quo

To remove or not to remove statue will be the question foremost on the Mayor's mind. While on the one hand, the Sambhaji Brigade turned violent, protesting against the delay by the PMC in removing Dadoji Konddeo's statue from Lal Mahal, on the other, some Hindu organisations demonstrated outside the PMC building condemning the Mayor's decision to remove the statue.

There was stringent security in and around the PMC office yesterday after the Sambhaji Brigade turned violent. They broke the glass windows and pelted stones. Over a hundred policemen have been deployed to control the situation. Later, over 500 activists from Patit Pawan Sanghatana and Lal Mahal Utsav Samiti staged a protest outside the PMC building, this time condemning the decision to remove the statue.

Flip-flop
On Wednesday, Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal had announced that Dadoji Konddeo's statue would be removed from the Lal Mahal in 24 hours. He had made a public announcement before a large gathering initiated by former Supreme Court judge P B Sawant and former high court judge B G Kolse Patil.

However, Rajpal withdrew his statement yesterday and said that the proposal would be put before the next general body meeting and a decision would be taken accordingly. An expert committee would also be appointed to study Chhatrapati Shivaji's history and determine the existence of Dadoji Konddeo. "We are maintaining status quo and leave it to the state government to take a decision," said Singh.

Office ransacked
Yashwant Kamble, an employee working on the same floor as the mayor, said, "The Sambhaji Brigade activists ransacked the mayor's office."

"Bandobast will continue for sometime at the PMC," said ACP Bharat Bhushan Sharma. "Rigid security system is in place and gate passes have been issued for people to enter and exit the PMC building."