Police crack down on hooliganism by Ambedkar followers in Mumbai

Mumbai: Over 700 followers of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar today forcefully entered the premises of Indu Mill in Dadar in central Mumbai, demanding the mill land be allotted for the construction of Dr Ambedkar’s memorial. Police cane-charged the protesters to disperse them. Lakhs of people have gathered at Chaityabhoomi, the place, where the architect of the Indian Constitution was cremated, to pay their respects on his death anniversary. “Over 700 followers barged into Indu Mill premises demanding that the land be immediately allotted for the construction of the memorial,” said a police officer. [caption id=“attachment_149226” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“A vendor sells pictures of Buddha and Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 50th death anniversary in Mumbai on 6 December. AFP Photo”]  [/caption] As the crowd removed the barricades, put up at the mill compound, police tried to stop them. However, in order to control the unruly crowd, police resorted to mild lathi-charge, he added. Activists of the ‘Republican Sena’, led by its leader Anandraj Ambedkar, removed the barricades, as the activists carried the busts of Dr Ambekar and Gautam Buddha, which they claimed, have now been installed on the mill premises. “We are now creating a Buddha Vihar on the land, where around hundred 100 Buddhist monks will perform prayers,” Anandraj Ambedkar told reporters. PTI