Mumbai News: Congress meets top cop, targets BJP for supporting Sameer Wankhede

Mumbai: A Maharashtra Congress delegation under state party chief Nana Patole met Additional Director General of Police Sanjay Saxena on Friday and sought strict action against miscreants disturbing the state’s law and order situation.

Patole questions if police are working under “pressure”

Patole also attacked the BJP for supporting IRS officer Sameer Wankhede despite the CBI probing him for alleged extortion and bribery. At a media interaction, the state Congress chief said that his party wants to know why action is not being taken against those making inflammatory statements and questioned if the police are working under “pressure”.

“We could have met the Home Minister or the Chief Minister, but we wanted to remind the police their duties,” Patole said, adding that those governing the state are busy watching Kerala Story. He was accompanied by party leaders Prithviraj Chavan and Naseem Khan.

“Maharashtra has a reputation for maintaining social harmony, but recent events indicate a few people are working to disrupt the law and order situation,” Patole said, alleging that even the Supreme Court orders regarding immediate filing of criminal charges against those who make inflammatory speeches and statements are not being followed.

Patole on Trimbakeshwar temple row and Barsu project

Condemning the recent events at Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik and the use of force by police at Barsu, he said in some places action is required and in others police brutality should stop. “Tribal women were also oppressed while land was being acquired for the Mumbai-Vadodara highway. Moreover, an increasing number of women and girls going missing in the state is worrisome,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, too, spoke out over the failing law and order situation in the state. Industries minister Uday Samant, however, said that politicising such sensitive issues needs to be avoided. He said that an investigation team has been formed in the Trimbakeshwar case and that police have been doing their work.