The Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, today thanked the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, for diffusing the raging controversy regarding handing over of the Indu Mill land in Mumbai for construction of a memorial of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
“Maharashtra government is grateful to the Prime Minister for sorting out the Indu Mill land issue. The way for constructing the memorial of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is now cleared,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a function held to dedicate to the nation the memorial of Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis, the Indian doctor who became famous for his selfless work in China during the Sino-Japan war.
The Prime Minister yesterday gave his in-principle approval to develop a memorial of the Dalit icon on the Indu Mill land at Dadar in Central Mumbai. The land is currently under possession of the National Textile Corporation.
The issue was hanging fire since Dalit activists forcibly took possession of a portion of the now defunct mill on December 6 (death anniversary of Ambedkar) demanding handing over of the entire 12.5 acres of land for the purpose.
Maharashtra legislature had recently passed a resolution backing the demand for handing over the entire land for the purpose.