Talking to reporters, Patil said that the Director General (DG) of Bihar police wrote to the Mumbai police commissioner highlighting provisions of existing laws that the local police station needs to be informed about detentions made from the area under its jurisdiction.
"We have to take care that politics does not harm the professional relations between police departments of the two states, which have always enjoyed cordial relations," Patil said, adding that political mudslinging needs to stop.
He admitted that the Mumbai police should have informed the local Sitamarhi police in Bihar from where 19- year-old Abdul Qadir Mohammed Ansari, an unemployed youth involved in the vandalism of Amar Jawan Memorial at Azad Maidan on August 11 was arrested.
"If the information had been given, this controversy would not have arisen. At the same time, there is no harm if the local police is not informed. We sought opinion of the advocate general, who said that the arrest was as per provisions of the law," he said.
He said that he had seen the Bihar DGP's letter and it does not contain any threat of legal action as it is being speculated. He also rejected the charge that the Maharashtra government is being soft on MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
"Provocative speeches are being examined as per the provisions of existing laws after which the opinion of the law and judiciary department is sought. We will take the same action that the Bihar government would have taken if provocative statements would have been made in that state," he added.
He denied that the state government had received an advisory from the Centre to ensure that migrants are protected. "Maharashtra is 100 per cent safe," he said.
