Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil on Friday said the action by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against the Popular Front of India (PFI) across Maharashtra a day earlier took place as the Union home ministry may have had some inputs.
In a massive crackdown on the PFI, multi-agency teams spearheaded by the NIA had, on Thursday, arrested 106 leaders and activists of the radical Islamic outfit in near simultaneous raids in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.
Twenty activists of the outfit were held from Maharashtra. “The Union Home ministry may have got inputs that is why the raids were conducted across the country and not just Maharashtra,” Walse Patil told reporters here. Being asked about a “survey” of various aspects of the Muslim community being carried out by the state government, Walse Patil said the ruling dispensation should announce if it had plans to give reservations to the community.
“It is not clear for what this survey is being carried out,” he added.
The Maharashtra government has commissioned a detailed study to assess the social, financial and educational status of the Muslim community in 56 cities of the state, an official order said. As per a government resolution (GR) issued on September 21, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has been roped in to conduct the study for which Rs 33.92 lakh have been earmarked.
The study is being commissioned by the Minority Development Department being headed by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Queried on his party’s strategy for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls, Walse Patil said the NCP would contest on the maximum number of seats.
“If possible, we will fight as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (also comprising the Shiv Sena and the Congress) or we will contest maximum number of seats on out own. Because, in future, we want to contest Assembly seats in Nagpur also. The NCP will perform well in Vidarbha,” he said.
