At a time when Maharashtra’s Home Minister Anil Deshmukh admit “serious and unpardonable mistakes” vis-à-vis the Antilia-Scorpio planting case and mysterious death of SUV owner Mansukh Hiren, the Shiv Sena seems to be defending IPS officer Param Bir Singh who has been shunted out as Mumbai Police chief.
“Param Bir Singh was replaced in the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner, which doesn't mean he is guilty,” stated an editorial in Saamana, Shiv Sena mouthpiece, on Friday.
The editorial comes a day after Deshmukh spoke out on the issue.
“Two agencies are probing… the NIA and the ATS… both reputed agencies are carrying out the investigations professionally… some junior officers (Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze) has made mistakes which are serious and unforgivable, such mistakes cannot be ignored… he (Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh) is the overall in charge… it is better that he is posted elsewhere so that there is impartial probe.”
शिवसेना कमिश्नर परमबीर सिंह की जयजयकार कर रही है।
— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) March 19, 2021
गृह मंत्री जो #NCP के हैं,कल बोले कि कमिश्नर ने गलती की थी।
ये विरोधाभासी बयान सरकार की इमेज और खराब करेगी।#वाजेकांड की जाँच से अबतक समझ में आया है कि यह सत्ता प्रायोजित हफ्ता वसूली कांड है।
इसके तार शिवसेना से जुड़े हैं क्या ?
Shiv Sena has been under fire from the opposition BJP for its defence of Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze.
After the conclusion of the Budget Session of Maharashtra Legislature, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had said: “'Sachin Vaze is not Osama Bin Laden. It is not right to target a person and hang him and then investigate."
The Saamana editorial further pointed out that the Maharashtra government has to do the rejig in police under certain specific circumstances. "He (Param Bir Singh) took the command of the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner during very difficult times," it added.
Meanwhile, senior Congressman Sanjay Nirupam, who is known for his anti-Shiv Sena stance, said, “The Shiv Sena is hailing Param Bir Singh. The Home Minister says he (Mumbai CP) was at fault… this statement (of Shiv Sena) would go against the (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government...”