After MSRTC workers’ protest at Sharad Pawar’s residence, Silver Oak, two police officers, deputy commissioner of police Yogesh Kumar and senior inspector of Gamdevi police station R J Rajbhar are transferred. The residence falls in the jurisdiction of Gamdevi police station. Kumar was holding the additional charge of the zone. DCP crime branch Neelotpal, a 2014 batch IPS officer, has been appointed the zonal DCP.
A senior police officer told Afternoon Voice under the condition of anonymity, “Most of the police and government officers are loyal to BJP, they enjoy a good rapport with BJP and Devendra because BJP is ruling in the centre. When UPA was in power, the cops were loyal to the NCP and Congress government. Whatever is happening now, cops are mute spectators to favour BJP.”
Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP slammed the Mumbai police for their lapse that led to the MSRTC workers’ violent protest outside the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday. Fadnavis said that the incident showed a failure by the police and the intelligence agencies. He demanded an investigation into the entire episode. “The entire media received messages and was at Sharad Pawar’s residence by 2.30 pm. How is it that the police had no inkling of it?” he asked. Fadnavis was speaking to media persons in North Kolhapur on Saturday, where he was campaigning for the party’s assembly by the poll candidate.
A TV journalist said, “I wonder how the media reached there to cover the incident if this was not well-planned. Media cameras were covering the incident live by talking to the protestors. This entire episode is plotted and the government should find out the culprit.”
