Will see what can be done in Elgar Parishad case, says new home minister Anil Deshmukh

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh, the new home minister of Maharashtra, on Sunday said that increasing women’s safety, controlling Maoist

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh, the new home minister of Maharashtra, on Sunday said that increasing women’s safety, controlling Maoist activities, modernisation of the police force and curbing unauthorised money-laundering was on his priority list while handling the department. The 69-year-old five-term MLA from Katol, in Nagpur, also said that he will take a review of the cases filed against activists in the Elgar Parishad case.

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Excerpts from an interview:

Your first reaction as the home minister of Maharashtra?

My priority would be to bring the law-and-order situation in the state under complete control. In a few places in the state, including Nagpur, the current law-and-order situation is not very satisfactory. I will actively work on that.

What will be your plans apart from controlling law and order?

Women’s safety will be on my priority list. I will ensure that women in the state feel safe and secure under our government. Tackling other issues such as Maoism, modernisation of the police force and unauthorised money-laundering will also be on our priority list.

The erstwhile government has booked many activists in the Elgar Parishad case after the Bhima-Koregaon violence. What will be your government’s stand on the matter?

After taking charge as the home minister, I will look into the charges imposed [on the activists] and look into the facts. We will also consider the views of senior police officers and decide the next course of action in the matter.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has recently demanded the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the charges levelled against activists accused in the Elgar Parishad case. What is your stand on it?

Here, again, I have to understand the facts and current status of the case. I will discuss it with him [Sharad Pawar] during my meeting with him on Monday and decide on what can be done.

What are your plans to handle the ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC)?

We don’t have much role to play in the matter, but we will see what can be done.

Is the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government planning to bring in a special public security act on the lines of the one in Chhattisgarh to keep a check on Maoist activities?

Maoist menace is not as serious in Maharashtra as it is in Chhattisgarh. It is restricted to a few districts here. We will look into the provisions of the said act [in Chhattisgarh] and see if we require such a legislation in Maharashtra.