The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday rapped Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil, who is hailing from NCP, for the “inept handling” of law and order situation in the state.
The trigger was Wednesday’s four bomb explosions in Pune in which one person was injured. Pawar also criticised lack of proper coordination between the state intelligence wing and the law and order arm.
Pawar said he had directed Patil to take action against the officers who failed to perform their duties. “The intelligence wing needs to be proactive. A quick review of recent bomb explosions reveals they are taking place in Maharashtra, especially in Pune and Mumbai, to create scare. A particular community is being targeted if a few persons from that community are arrested for their alleged involvement. The repeated bashing of a particular community should not be tolerated as it is not good for social harmony,” Pawar noted.
He was speaking to reporters after addressing an NCP state unit meeting here on Saturday.
Pawar reiterated the intelligence wing and the law and order arm of the police department should work in a proper coordination.
“I have experience of functioning the home ministry as I was the minister for more than a decade. The authority of the minister needs to be exercised and it should be visible. Therefore, I have asked state home minister to be ruthless in handling such cases and also take stern action against officials failing to perform,” he added.
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Meanwhile, Pawar, who enjoys long-standing friendship with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, exhorted NCP members to follow the Shiv Sena model to strengthen the party. “Shiv Sena’s shakha (local office) has been quite active where office bearers sit and listen to people.
The network of Shakhas across Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra has helped Shiv Sena grow and increase its presence. NCP ministers, legislators and office bearers need to devote certain time for party offices to meet people,” he noted.