Athawale demands President’s Rule in Maharashtra, citing law and order collapse

Athawale said he will meet Amit Shah on Tuesday to apprise him of the situation in the state and press for the dismissal of the Uddhav Thackeray-led govt

Union minister Ramdas Athawale has asked the country’s home minister Amit Shah to impose President’s Rule in Maharashtra in view of the “deteriorating law and order” in the state.

Union minister Ramdas Athawale said that the recent incidents had adversely affected the morale of the Maharashtra Police. (HT File)

Athawale said he will meet Shah on Tuesday to apprise him of the situation in the state and press for the dismissal of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. In his press release, Athawale pointed out that the current situation – former cop Sachin Vaze’s arrest and the allegations by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh against state home minister Anil Deshmukh – has caused tremendous anger among citizens. “These incidents indicate the collapse of law and order and call for President’s Rule in the state,” said Athawale, adding that the recent incidents had adversely affected the morale of the Maharashtra Police.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded an open inquiry against a top-serving police officer, alleging that he seems to be abetting the mafia raj in the state. AAP leaders alleged that the said officer has also been indicted by his seniors, but has been able to escape punitive action due to the blessings of his political masters, spread across party lines.