Speeches in the State Legislatures : 1946-62-18

2

Role of the Police praised, better deal recommended

After explaining* ( BLA Debates, Vol. 16, Part I, 16 March 1950, pp. 1515-16.) some of the remarks made by the hon. Member Shri Tulsidas Jadhav,regarding the alleged meeting in Kanna Chowk in connection with the elections to the Sholapur Municipality, Shri Y. B. Chavan said that he had never gone there nor did he address any meeting there. He clarified that while addressing the meeting at the Patryachi Talim, a young man tried to disturb the meeting which, however, passed off peacefully and be hoped that the hon. Member would accept this as true and would correct himself. Shri Chavan observed that the propaganda which he (Shri Jadhav) was carrying on would kill democracy.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am taking this opportunity to explain some of the remarks my hon. Friend Shri Jadhav has made regarding me yesterday. Unfortunately I was not present in the House yesterday, but I am glad that he has given me this opportunity to explain myself. It is a fact that I had been to Sholapur in connection with the elections to the Sholapur Municipality. I addressed some four meetings in Sholapur. One was in Phaltan Galli, the second was in Patryachi Talim, the third was in Subhash Chowk and the fourth was in Vijapur Ves. I tried to remember all the details of what had happened at those meetings, and I do not remember to have mentioned the name of one Shri Sattha. I do not know why his name has been brought in by my hon. Friend here. Really speaking I had no reason to mention the name of Shri Sattha. I personally asked the hon. Member this morning to which particular meeting he wanted to refer. He told me that it was the meeting in Kanna Chowk. Let me tell him that I never addressed any meeting in Kanna Chowk. I do not know about the Kanna Chowk meeting. In fact, I do not know what the Kanna Chowk is like. I had never gone there nor did I address any meeting there. I hope he will correct himself about this statement. The only incident which I remember took place in the meeting which I addressed at the Patryachi Talim.
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* B.L.C. Debater, Vol 16, Part I, 16 March 1950, pp. 1515-16.

While I was addressing the meeting one young man sitting in a motor-car with a microphone attached to it came shouting all sorts of slogans in vulgar language near the meeting. I thought he was in a mood to disturb the meeting and, if possible, to break it up. I saw some policemen also moving about there. I told the audience–it was a largely attended meeting–that it was better the young man was given an opportunity to go away and so I sat down. The police escorted him out. When he, turned round the corner, I again started the meeting and then the, meeting was a peaceful affair. That was the only thing that happened there and the police had to escort him. This is all that happened in Sholapur and this, I hope, the hon. Member, Shri Tulsidas Jadhav will accept as true. I believe he has respect for the truth and if he has, he should correct himself. But, unfortunately, he has developed a new art of repeating untruths, so that they can be passed on as truths. He claims to be a democrat and I hope he is a democrat. But this is not the way of carrying on a propaganda for democracy. The propaganda which he is carrying on is propaganda for killing democracy. Let him not at least in the name of democracy carry on propaganda to kill democracy. Sir, this is all that I have to say.