House where Dr BR Ambedkar stayed while in London sold to unknown buyer for Rs 40 crore

A crucial part of Dr B R Ambedkarrsquos legacy seems to have slipped away from the nationrsquos handsLess than a week after the state government said that it was discussing the issue with the Centre and barely a day since BSP supremo Mayawati asked the NDA government to purchase the London house where the Father of the Constitution had stayed for a year the Maharashtra government was intimated that the property has been soldPiece of History Bhimrao Ambedkar stayed in this threestorey house on King Henryrsquos Road in London from 192122 as mentioned on this plaque on the buildingLast morning the state government began to get flooded with emails that Ambedkarrsquos erstwhile home in London had been sold to an unknown buyer and that the owners would accept the offer at 2 pm UK time 730 pm IST The state was subsequently informed that the sale of the threestorey residence on 10 King Henryrsquos Road was completed in the afternoon and with no inclination shown from the Governments of India or Maharashtra the deal was sealed at a premium above the asking price of pound310000 or Rs 40 croreThe property which has a blue plaque on the exterior with the words ldquoDr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar 18911956 Indian crusader for social justice lived here in 192122rdquo was reportedly sold to a private developer who is likely to develop the 2502square foot home into flatslsquoCalamityrsquoThe emails confirming the deal were forwarded to the chief minister and chief secretary of Maharashtra by Ambedkar associations and followers in London and said the property agent Goldschmidt amp Howland waited patiently for four months to receive a letter of intent or to hear from the Government of India GoI but had given up after no formal communication was receivedDr B R Ambedkar stayed in the house for a year between 1921 and 1922 PicGettyImagesldquoThe owners are expected to accept an offer on the house by 1400 UK local time on January 16 from a private investor who will develop the building into flats The owner has been extremely patient with us as the GoI has been deliberating on the issue for close to four months It would be a calamity if the GoI is unable to protect this historic site which is very significant culturally to Dr Ambedkarrsquos legacy and Indiardquo said Santosh Dass president of the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations FABO UK She told midday from London that the Indian government seems to have lost a golden opportunity to save the siteWhile a representative of property consultant Goldschmidt amp Howland told midday that the deal was in a lsquocrucial stagersquo she declined to elaborate ldquoIt is a tight situation and at this point it is not appropriate to reveal anything about it or provide any confirmationrdquo said an agent representing the brokerDass told midday that the owner and the estate agent Goldschmidt amp Howland have been waiting for confirmation from GoI that it has funds to purchase the house and that 10 of the asking price pound310000 will be released as a deposit with a view to purchasing the house within two months of the date of Letter of IntentlsquoAll is not lostrsquoSenior government officials immediately forwarded the emails to the concerned departments and assured midday that the situation could still be salvaged ldquoIt is not as if this building will be destroyed immediately We could always continue following up with the new buyer and acquire the property from himrdquo said a senior official adding that the government had little idea on what to do with the property even if it was purchasedCM Devendra Fadnavis has said he has already written to the Government of India and P K Jain joint secretary ministry of culture to speed up the acquisition process which was initiated by former CM Prithviraj ChavanMumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar who had revived the process of buying the property by writing a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said he would press on with it at any cost ldquoEverything is not lost as we can always buy the property from the new buyer by quoting a handsome price I will now visit New Delhi and meet senior leaders to continue our efforts to buy this historic siterdquo he told midday