Dy CM blames intelligence failure; Raut sees BJP hand

Uddhav asks Mumbai police commissioner to probe; Walse Patil admits lapses; Bengal CM flays the incident

MUMBAI: A day after MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation) workers staged a protest outside Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s Mumbai residence, Silver Oak, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday pointed to the failure of police intelligence, saying even the media knew about it.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray chaired a meeting and directed Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey to inquire into the incident and submit a report.

It was the duty of the Mumbai police to gather intelligence but they failed and it was an undisputed fact, the deputy chief minister said. “Television cameras were also there along with the protesting workers, which means the media was aware of it, then why not the police? A senior police officer has been asked to investigate the matter and find out the mastermind.”

Meanwhile, around 70 MSRTC employees held a sit-in at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on Saturday morning after they were asked by police to vacate Azad Maidan.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned Friday’s incident. “I condemn the attack on the residence of one of India’s senior most public figures, Sharad Pawar @PawarSpeaks and welcome the statement of @CMOMaharashtra for stern action against the offenders,” she tweeted.

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari too criticised the protest and hoped the state government would ensure such incidents would not be repeated. “Chief minister [Uddhav Thackeray] is handling the matter. He is a wise person. Pawar himself is a respected leader. No one will approve of such an incident.”

Home minister Dilip Walse Patil admitted security lapses and said responsibility would be fixed. “There were security lapses which will be investigated. This was discussed with the chief minister in today’s meeting,” he said, adding the state government had increased security of the Pawar family.

Walse Patil and Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut met senior Pawar at his residence on Saturday. “Pawar will go on his scheduled visit [to Amravati] on Sunday,” the home minister said.

The NCP chief, however, cancelled his Saturday‘s trip to Satara.

Raut pointed the finger at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Friday’s incident, while BJP demanded investigation into the intelligence failure. The Sena leader said advocate Gunratna Sadavarte, who was arrested for instigating the MSRTC employees, was getting all the financial help from BJP. “It wasn’t a protest but an attack,” said Raut, adding, “Sadavarte has got all the [financial] support from BJP. Who owns the house where he stays? He is getting financial help only to speak against [chief minister] Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. Yesterday’s attack was also part of it.” Going by a few BJP leaders supporting the incident, it seemed BJP was behind it, Raut said.

Leader of the opposition Devendra Fadnavis said, “Such attacks are not unacceptable… But an important question is the media was aware of their plan. They got messages [about a protest at Pawar’s residence] around 2.30 pm. The police had no information. This is a big failure on the part of police and intelligence, and requires investigation. ”

(With inputs from Aroosa Ahmed)

PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT PHOTO NCP workers stage a protest in support of party chief Sharad Pawar in Thane on Saturday.