Congress backs Ramesh Bagwe, blasts Pune cops for playing ‘politics’

The ongoing tussle between minister of state for home Ramesh Bagwe and Pune police commissioner Satyapal Singh showed no signs of abating on Friday. The Maharashtra Pradesh Congree Committee (MPCC) has now rallied around Bagwe whose credentials were being openly questioned by the police department. Bagwe’s passport is not being renewed by the Pune police for the last two years.

What has irked the Congress is the audacity of Pune deputy police commissioner Lakhmi Gautam, who held media briefings to explain the serious criminal charges against Bagwe, due to which he has been denied passport. Chief minister Ashok Chavan has now sought a detailed report from the home ministry and he also plans to have a discussion with Bagwe on the matter.

Congress spokesperson Hussain Dalwai said: “Whether it is IPS
or IAS officials, they should focus on administrative work instead of playing politics. Today, they have targeted Bagwe, tomorrow it could be home minister RR Patil, or even chief minister Ashok Chavan.”

“If any official had an issue with the minister, the matter could have been referred to a senior and brought to the notice of the home secretary. How can they publicly call someone a criminal? Moreover, every political worker while leading public demonstrations has criminal cases registered against him,” Dalwai added.

A section of Congress is also upset with home minister RR Patil, who is from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), for his inaction against the police officials involved. According to Congress workers, the police are tarnishing Bagwe’s image because he happens to be a dalit leader. But, the top leadership of both Congress and NCP has dismissed the caste bias charge as irrational.
“Ever since Bagwe announced the transfer of Satyapal Singh during the budget session, he has come under attack from the Pune police,” said officials from the chief minister’s office, who are hoping that Chavan’s intervention will help in resolving the matter.