Top cop attends Sena CAA meet; raises eyebrows

Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Barve on Sunday addressed a meeting of Shiv Sena legislators at the Sahyadri guesthouse to guide them about the Citizenship (Amendment)

Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Barve on Sunday addressed a meeting of Shiv Sena legislators at the Sahyadri guesthouse to guide them about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), raising eyebrows in the political corridors as well as the bureaucracy.

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Chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray convened a meeting of party ministers, MLAs and district presidents on Sunday morning.

Barve made a 30-minute presentation on the CAA and NRC, giving their brief history and the pros and cons. He also resolved the leaders’ queries. Despite repeated attempts, Barve was unavailable for a comment.

While some said that a senior police officer like Barve should have refrained from attending the event organised by and for the legislators and leaders of the ruling party, former IPS officers D Sivanandan and YP Singh defended him saying there was nothing wrong in it.

“After spending more than 35 years in the service, Barve knows conduct rules very well. More than his attendance at the party platform, what he did there is of importance. I do not think he did anything wrong,” Sivanandan said.

Singh said police officers attend such meetings to ensure communal harmony is maintained in the society.

“He [Barve], I believe, was attending it to promote communal harmony, which is the duty of any police officer. I don’t think he indulged in pursuing any political agenda, and hence it does not amount to violation of services rules,” he said.

Shiv Sena leader and transport minister Anil Parab said, “We had invited Barve to address our doubts and confusions about the implementation of the CAA and NRC. Police officers have been taking part in such meetings all over, hence a meeting held for us cannot be questioned.”

Haven’t given up hindutva, says Thackeray

During the meeting of party legislators and leaders, chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Thackeray told party leaders the party has not given up its Hindutva agenda and that the party is firm on its stance taken during the passage of CAA in the Lok Sabha

Thackeray said it was Bal Thackeray who introduced Hindutva to the party and it will remain the same

“BJP is not the flag-bearer of Hindutva. We stand by our position taken in the Lok Sabha during the passage of the CAA. The entire world knows about our Hindutva, and we do not need to prove our ideology,” he said

This comes after some leaders questioned the ideology after the Sena joined hands with Congress to form the government.