Maha govt removes Madhukar Pandey as Mira Bhayander police commissioner

Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) The Maharashtra government on Wednesday transferred the Mira Bhayander police commissioner, Madhukar Pandey, a day after a massive pro-Marathi agitation erupted in Mira Road in Thane district, leading to a major law and order situation.

Pandey has been replaced by the additional director general of police (anti-corruption), Niket Kaushik. Pandey has been posted as the additional general of police (administration).

The government’s move comes as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was upset over the handling of the situation in Mira Road over the past couple of weeks.

During the protest, Fadnavis also spoke to Director General of Police Rashi Shukla. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) joined the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti to organise a morcha on Tuesday at Mira Road.

However, the police earlier defined permission and detained a few MNS activists who protested the police decision. The MNS, Shiv Sena UBT and Marathi Ekikaran Samiti claimed that when the traders, mainly Gujaratis and Marwaris, of Mira Road-Bhayander were allowed to take a morcha, they were denied permission.

The traders were protesting the beating of traders last week by the MNS activists, insisting that they speak Marathi.

State Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik went to Mira Road, where he was heckled amid slogans of ‘pannas khokhe, ekdum okay’, forcing him to leave the city amid tight police security.

Fadnavis earlier said that the police had given permission to MNS to take out a morcha on another route, though the latter insisted on their route.

He clarified that had the police allowed MNS, it would have led to law and order issues. However, the police later released the MNS activists and allowed them to take out a morcha.

--IANS

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