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Protest at NCP chief’s residence: Ajit Pawar points to intelligence failure, Raut blames BJP
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray chaired a meeting and directed Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey to inquire into the incident and submit a report
Mumbai: A day after MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation) workers staged a protest outside Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s Mumbai residence, Silver Oak, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday pointed to the failure of police intelligence, saying even the media knew about it.
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray chaired a meeting and directed Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey to inquire into the incident and submit a report.
It was the duty of the Mumbai police to gather intelligence but they failed and it was an undisputed fact, the deputy chief minister said. “Television cameras were also there along with the protesting workers, which means the media was aware of it, then why not the police? A senior police officer has been asked to investigate the matter and find out the mastermind.”
Meanwhile, around 70 MSRTC employees held a sit-in at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on Saturday morning after they were asked by police to vacate Azad Maidan.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned Friday’s incident. “I condemn the attack on the residence of one of India’s senior most public figures, Sharad Pawar @PawarSpeaks and welcome the statement of @CMOMaharashtra for stern action against the offenders,” she tweeted.
Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari too criticised the protest and hoped the state government would ensure such incidents would not be repeated. “Chief minister [Uddhav Thackeray] is handling the matter. He is a wise person. Pawar himself is a respected leader. No one will approve of such an incident.”
Home minister Dilip Walse Patil admitted security lapses and said responsibility would be fixed. “There were security lapses which will be investigated. This was discussed with the chief minister in today’s meeting,” he said, adding the state government had increased security of the Pawar family.
Walse Patil and Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut met senior Pawar at his residence on Saturday. “Pawar will go on his scheduled visit [to Amravati] on Sunday,” the home minister said.
The NCP chief, however, cancelled his Saturday‘s trip to Satara where he was scheduled to attend the Maharashtra Kesari wrestling tournament.
Raut pointed the finger at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Friday’s incident, while the BJP demanded investigation into the intelligence failure.
The Sena leader said advocate Gunratna Sadavarte, who was arrested for instigating the MSRTC employees, was getting all the financial help from BJP.
“It wasn’t a protest but an attack,” said Raut, adding, “Sadavarte has got all the [financial] support from BJP. Who owns the house where he stays? He is getting financial help only to speak against [chief minister] Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. Yesterday’s attack was also part of it.”
Going by a few BJP leaders supporting the incident, it seemed BJP was behind it, Raut said.
After meeting Pawar, Raut also met the chief minister at his official residence Varsha.
Leader of the opposition Devendra Fadnavis said, “Such attacks are not unacceptable… But an important question is the media was aware of their plan. They got messages [about a protest at Pawar’s residence] around 2.30 pm. The protestors planned the agitation and the police had no information. This is a big failure on the part of police and intelligence, and requires investigation. We have seen those videos [of protest] and they were horrible.”
NCP workers held protests at various places across the state condemning Friday’s incident. They also demanded Pawar’s security be increased.
Transport minister Anil Parab urged the striking MSRTC employees to return to work and maintain peace. “The state government will not sit with folded hands if someone is trying to disturb the law and order. Despite the leaders making provocative statements, the strike has been peaceful so far. The workers should resume work and free the rural population from the inconvenience… If workers are being instigated then the state government will take stern action.”
The deputy chief minister said, “The CM, I, and the transport minister have been appealing to the striking MSRTC employees to resume work. The cases against them were also withdrawn. Even when MSRTC buses were not plying during the lockdown, the state was disbursing ₹250 to ₹300 crore every month to pay their salaries.”
On Friday, hundreds of MSRTC employees gathered outside Pawar’s residence and raised slogans against him claiming that he did nothing to fulfill their demands. They even threw shoes and chappals at the house. Workers of the loss-making MSRTC, which is a state undertaking, have been demanding that their services be merged with the government.
The sit-in at CSMT began at 5 am on Saturday. The MSRTC workers initially occupied the suburban concourse area. They were asked to move out, but they refused.
A Central Railway official said, “Personnel of the Railway Protection Force and the Government Railway Police (GRP) were called in.”
The protestors finally dispersed from the suburban concourse at 10.30 am. Later, nearly 25 of them gathered near the outstation train terminus and on platform number 18. The GRP was called again after which they vacated the area, the official said.
MSRTC employees across Maharashtra arrived in the city last week to show their support to their colleagues who were protesting at Azad Maidan.
(With inputs from Aroosa Ahmed)
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