Mumbai: Even as the State politics is thrown into chaos over recent developments in the Shiv Sena, the Mumbai Police have put all politically sensitive locations in the city under extra security cover to ensure that there are no untoward incidents.
The Shiv Sena was sent into a tizzy after one of the party’s seniormost leaders, Eknath Shinde, went missing and subsequently resurfaced to say that he had the support of several more leaders willing to rebel with him. With the future of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra uncertain, ground-level party workers, as well as supporters, have been getting increasingly restless with each passing day.
Taking no chances, the Mumbai Police top brass have issued instructions to all police stations to ensure maintenance of law and order in their respective jurisdictions. Additionally, special focus is being placed on all locations of political significance.
“We have increased bandobast at locations like the Sena Bhavan, Matoshree, Raj Bhavan, Mantralaya and Vidhan Bhavan, where protests, agitations or clashes could occur in light of the ongoing political developments,” Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Sanjay Latkar said.
He added that police stations have also been ordered to identify all spots in their jurisdictions which have a high density of political workers or active supporters, and keep a special watch on them. Police personnel are also in continuous touch with local leaders, both to gauge the mood of the people as well as to keep reminding them to not take the law in their hands.
Additionally, intelligence gathering at ground level is continuously underway so that real time updates can be obtained and conveyed to superior officers.
At the same time, social media platforms are being monitored, so that any objectionable or inflammatory posts can be removed without delay. The political drama has inspired a never-ending series of memes which are being circulated on platforms like Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. Besides, scores of people are also expressing their opinions, some of them in acerbic or critical terms which might hold the potential to hurt the sentiments of certain communities. A very recent example is one of actress Ketaki Chitale, who was arrested for posting derogatory comments about Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar.
