Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday took a swipe at some officers in the police force stating they had come for a recent meeting in expensive cars, some of which had been given by a businessman.
Pawar was speaking at a function in the Pune police headquarters where stolen gold was returned to rightful owners.
Calling it an issue that needed some thinking, Pawar said one of the cars in which an officer came for the meeting that took place in Mumbai cost as high as Rs 35 lakh.
"I wondered when did we buy such vehicles for the police force. I later found out some businessman had given these cars. Using such cars given by businessmen, that too on government duty, is a matter that we need to think about," the deputy CM said.
"We had a discussion on this issue with the CM and additional chief secretary. The (state) home minister travels in a normal car and officers travel in cars worth Rs 35 lakh.
How does this happen," he asked.
Pawar said one had to follow rules when in government service and on government duty.
Advising people to be careful about their social media usage as it also gave clues to thieves, Pawar said "People go outstation for picnics etc, put photographs on social media instantly, and thieves get to know that the entire family is out and rob the home. So post photographs once you come home." Expressing displeasure at a history-sheeter, Gajanan Marne, and his supporters bursting crackers and creating nuisance after the former was released from jail recently, Pawar told police "such incidents should not happen in the future".
He went on to say that criminals must fear the police and not common citizens.
