Raj Thackeray warns new police commissioner against 'repeating mistakes'

Mumbai: MNS chief Raj Thackeray today visited new Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh to greet him, four days after Arup Patnaik was transferred from the post after opposition clamour for his ouster for alleged inept handling of the August 11 violence.

Raj also reiterated that home minister R R Patil should resign, saying that not only the police commissioner, but also the state home department was responsible for the alleged failure to prevent the Azad Maidan violence.

Speaking to the media today after a meeting which lasted for more than 30 minutes with the new police chief Singh, Raj said, “Whenever a new police commissioner or civic body commissioner takes charge, I usually visit them to greet”.

Asked what issues were discussed during the meeting, Raj Thackeray said, “I hope earlier mistakes are not repeated. That is what we expect. At the same time, we hope that he lifts the morale of the police and their relatives”.

Thackeray praised Singh, who he claimed, had accepted that the police’s morale was down, immediately after Singh took charge as the police chief. “Singh had made a statement to the press after taking charge that the police were in a demoralised state. It means I believe he (Singh) has accepted (that police’s morale was down after the August 11 violence) which is a big thing. We hope he understood the pulse of the department,” Thackeray added.

Responding to a question, Thackeray said, “The police commissioner was not only responsible (for the riots) but even the home minister. Hence, he (Patil) should also resign.”

PTI