Bhogibhai Purushottambhai Makwana of DSS told newspersons on Wednesday that his organisation had already submitted its views in response to a notification issued by the Charity Commissioner (CC) with regard to the sale of the land and hearing on the matter would be held on November 24.

According to Makwana, the land belonged to a Harijan-welfare trust and it could not be sold by anyone including the trustees. It could only be transferred to other trusts working with similar objectives, he said.

If the present seven trustees, only three of whom were Harijans, found themselves unable to run the affairs of the hostel and Trust, they must quit and let other community members with talent and potential take over, he suggested.

He said that HSS was formed following the historic Poona Pact signed for removal of untouchability among the depressed classes. and their social and educational upliftment. Selling off the property was not going to achieve these objectives, he argued.

Makwana, a veteran socialist, who was charged in a dynamite conspiracy and imprisoned during emergency, said that his organisation would hold a demonstration outside the office of Charity Commissioner on November 24 and also write to Governor Anshuman Singh and Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel to intervene in the matter.