Thane: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s Thane district president and Thane-Palghar district coordinator Anand Paranjape, while speaking with the journalists on Saturday, January 14 during a press conference in Thane, alleged that the Thane police commissioner Jai Jeet Singh, additional police commissioner Punjabrao Ugle, deputy commissioner of police Ganesh Gawde and Amar Singh Jadhav are working like a private army of the ruling Maharashtra government. Paranjape further said that if tomorrow Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde orders the Thane police commissioner Jai Jeet Singh to encounter party workers from the opposition who oppose the government's wrong policies, then Singh will obey the order.
Thane police harassing opposition members
Paranjape said, "On December 22, 2022, we protested in Thane against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinder over the suspension of NCP State President Jayant Patil from the Legislative Assembly. After that, crimes were registered against me in 11 police stations in the Thane Police Commissionerate area by misusing the police system. An appeal was filed against this in the Bombay High Court. The court has ordered that no arrest should be made in this matter and the next hearing will be held on January 18. The Thane police are harassing political workers if they oppose the unconstitutional Shinde government. We are the followers of Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharamveer Anand Dighe ideology and the reason we are not afraid at all. The police should gun down us on the chest and not on our back. Our battle will continue against this unconstitutional government."
Case registered for putting up hoardings against Shinde govt
Earlier, a case has been registered against three known and two unknown persons in Naupada police station for putting up hoardings with the content "Pannas Khoke, Ekdum Okay", a slogan coined by opposition to allege that Shinde faction MLAs took money to split the Shiv Sena. Three of them have been arrested and released on bail. However, the names of the two unknowns are not clear. When NCP city president Vikram Khamkar and party assembly president Abhishek Pusalkar were not at home, the police went to their house about 10 times between January 11 and 13 and harassed the women in their house. Interestingly, children were also being bullied. They entered their house and inspected the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and even the bed. Paranjpe also alleged that the most serious thing is that even though the two were on bail, the police on Friday again entered their house and tried to search for them.
Will not be intimidated by such acts: Paranjape
Paranjape, while questioning the Thane police duty, said, "Are they servants of the people or few politicians? Have they forgotten the oath they took while joining the service as IPS? Paranjpe has also told the police commissioner Jai Jeet Singh that the police are there to protect the law. Today, the Chief Minister is Eknath Shinde and tomorrow some other party will form the government, but the constitution and rule of law given to the country by Babasaheb Ambedkar will remain forever. Therefore, harassment by filing illegal FIRs should be stopped. We will not be intimidated by such activities. We are fighting false criminal cases against us. You will file crimes to please your political masters but we will also not sit quietly at home and will fight."
People close to govt not arrested despite grave allegations: NCP leader
Rida Rashid, a BJP worker from Mumbra who had earlier filed a molestation case against NCP leader and former housing minister Jitendra Awhad, herself faces cases of threats to death, Atrocity Act, and prostitution of minor girls, but she was seen roaming freely during winter session and also at Mantralaya. Police are not arresting her, Paranjape said. Also, Vikas Repale and Namrata Bhosale, two corporators of Eknath Shinde's faction, who have been booked in the assault case of BJP office bearer, are moving freely and the Thane police are not ready to take any action against them, alleged Paranjape.
