By Staff Reporter
Police impose a fine on sellers of crackers with pictures of Hindu deities
Mumbai (Maharashtra): With regular follow up by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and Hindu protagonists the Ghatkopar police imposed a fine of 1200 to 2500 rupees on those selling fire crackers with pictures of deities Lakshmi and Krushna . To finish their stock traders began selling these crackers secretly. As a result of the constant follow up by the District Co-ordinator of HJS, Mumbai Shri Shivaji Vatkar and other workers viz. Shri Satish Sonar, Shri Kashiram Parab, Shri Ravindra Nalavade and others, on 8th and 9th November the Inspector of Ghatkopar Police station Shri Pawar led a team of eight policemen to take action against the erring traders. When they swung into action at night they realised that most of the firework sellers did not have licenses for sale of fire crackers and therefore had to pay a fine of 1200 to 2500 rupees. Today afternoon when a Daily Sanatan Prabhat journalist inquired with traders at Ghatkopar (east) he learnt that since there was a ban on ‘Lakshmi bar’ crackers they could not sell them. One trader lamented that he suffered a loss of five thousand rupees for selling crackers with pictures of Hindu deities and in addition was fined. The third shopkeeper said, “ Why do you want fire crackers with pictures of deities ? Other crackers are equally good. Buy those.” When inquiries regarding the Lakshmi and Krushna picture crackers were being made the shopkeepers spoke cautiously. One of them said, “ Next year we will ensure that crackers with pictures of deities are not sold by us.” Some shopkeepers however were selling the left-over stock of Lakshmi crackers in the evening at half-price.
When the HJS learnt about this, Shri Shivaji Vatkar contacted the senior police inspector Shri Padval and requested him to take action against the erring persons. He threatened that if the police failed to take action then the HJS would be compelled to lead a protest rally to the police station. In response Shri Padval asked for some time to delegate the task to some police officers. The police official at the Ghatkopar Co-ordination branch Shri Tambe asked as to how he could take action against them, upon which Shri Vatkar suggested that they could take action using clause 295 (A) for hurting religious sentiments as the same was used to confiscate crackers with ‘Paigambar’ printed on them in Kalyan. Shri Tambe promised to act within half an hour. Shri Vatkar also apprised Shri Padval and Shri Tambe that earlier the Leader of Opposition had requested Shri R.R.Patil the State Home Minister to ban fire crackers with pictures of Hindu deities. ( Why do only Hindus need to tell policemen what clause they should use against erring individuals ? What justice can the public expect from such policemen ? – Editor)
