Sachin Vaze row: BJP, Sena war of words continues

Fadnavis says need to find real political bosses; Raut dares him to name them, says Singh’s transfer neither sudden nor routine, was needed amid inquiry

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday demanded a probe to find the “political bosses” who were behind the police officer Sachin Vaze, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the security threat at industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house, Antilia.

Sachin Vaze

Pointing out the links between Vaze and Shiv Sena leaders, he said that chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had called him in 2018, when he was the chief minister, to reinstate Vaze in the police force. Vaze was under suspension then. “Thackeray had called me and his senior ministers had met me in 2018. As the high court had ordered the Vaze’s suspension, I refused to accede to their demand,” said Fadnavis.

Addressing the media in Delhi, Fadnavis said the focus should be on people who operated behind the scenes. “Param Bir Singh (former Mumbai police commissioner) and Sachin Vaze were small players. We want to know their political masters in the government,” said Fadnavis. “The way the chief minister was defending Vaze, the manner in which he is defended by the government, we want to know, whose interests are being protected,” said Fadnavis.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena stepped up its offensive, saying the Vaze incident will not result in the collapse of the Maharashtra government. “Everybody should snap out of the illusion that like the Chandra Shekhar government collapsed due to two constables, the Maharashtra government too will fall due to an assistant police inspector [Sachin Vaze]. The National Investigation Agency and the Anti-Terrorism Squad are investigating and it should be left to them. But we are keeping an eye on it. It is a small matter now,” said Sena leader Sanjay Raut.

Raut dared Fadnavis to name leaders who he thought were “Vaze’s handlers”. “Take names or don’t shoot in the dark,” Raut said, adding a former chief minister should not work to demoralise the Mumbai Police.

Responding indirectly to Fadnavis’s claims of Thackeray’s request for Vaze’s reinstatement, Raut said, “Vaze was a police officer then. He was suspended following the death of an accused terrorist during investigation. The court ordered his suspension, there was no other case. So is our leader of Opposition speaking in favour of a terrorist?”

The Sena parliamentarian said that Fadnavis should not think that he holds the reins of the investigation. “The probe is being done by NIA and ATS. Let’s see what comes out. Terrible incidents have happened in the BJP-ruled states, but we have never interfered in it,” he said.

Speaking on the transfer of police commissioner Param Bir Singh, Raut said, “Whatever has happened in the past 15 days, has not and will not be supported by anybody. The transfers that happened today are important. It is not done under pressure from the opposition. It is our moral responsibility,” he said.

Raut further said, “This is not sudden or a routine transfer. Given the type of atmosphere in the state or in the media , the chief minister thought that the head of the police force, on whom doubts were raised, should be transferred till the inquiry is complete…No police officer takes the government into confidence before committing any crime. But when such incidents come forward, it is our duty to take appropriate action.”