NAGPUR: Senior Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam made a startling allegation in legislative council that slain rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar’s organization Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS) had taken supari (contract) from people abroad to finish Hindu religion from India.
He was countered by home minister RR Patil immediately who clarified the funds MANS received were given by Maharashtra Mandal in US. They had given Rs 10 lakh prize to Dabholkar who had donated it to MANS.
Speaking on anti-superstition bill after it was tabled in the House by social justice minister Shivajirao Moghe on Monday, the Sena leader who made his first appearance in the ongoing winter session said he had documents under RTI to prove MANS got about Rs 1.50 crore from abroad. He asked how could the bill be introduced on the demand of a corrupt organization.
Pointing out 21 provisions in the bill that prohibited even Satyanarayan Puja at home, Kadam asked why did it take government over 18 years to clear the legislation. He charged the government of waking up from slumber only after Dabholkar was murdered to promulgate an ordinance next day. Warning the government of repercussions from Hindus, he said the bill wouldn’t have been a reality if MANS founder were alive.
Taking a dig at union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his counterpart in state RR Patil, Kadam said both had failed to trace Dabholkar’s killers even after months. He also took potshots at chief minister Prithviraj Chavan over his statement that “the ideology behind assassination of Mahatma Gandhi was behind Dabholkar’s killing”. He said such statements hamper the investigations but CM replied he had not named any individual but spoke of the depraved mentality behind both killings.
Concluding his marathon speech, Kadam called on to table the report of Sanyukta Chikitsa Samiti which was constituted to study the bill and said the bill shouldn’t be cleared without it.
Ashok Jagtap taunted the opposition over misusing religion for politics. The discussion then veered on to Shivaji Maharaj and Sena founder Bal Thackeray which saw strong verbal duel between treasury and opposition benches. Before it could turned ugly, however, the chairman adjourned the upper house.