Language row: Police chief shunted out a day after Mira Road protests in Maharashtra

Mumbai: A day after massive pro-Marathi agitation erupted in Mira Road in Thane district leading to a major law and order situation, police chief Madhukar Pandey was shunted out on Wednesday.

An IPS officer of 1996-batch, Pandey, the Commissioner of Police of Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Commissionerate, is now posted as Additional Director General of Police (Administration) in Maharashtra police headquarters.

Pandey was replaced by Nikit Kaushik, an IPS officer of the 1995-batch, who comes after serving as the Additional Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

While the transfer was described as routine, it appears that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was upset over the handling of the situation in Mira Road over the past couple of weeks.

During the protests, Fadnavis also spoke to Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla.

Notably, Pandey was adjudged as the state’s “best Police Commissioner” in the progress report of the 100-day action plan launched by Fadnavis after taking over as CM and state Home Minister for the third time.

Raj Thackeray-led MNS, which led the protests with the support of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, had said that while the traders, mainly Gujaratis and Marwaris, of Mira Road-Bhayander were allowed to take a rally last week, the Marathis were not allowed.

State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who belongs to the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, had rushed to Mira Road, where he was heckled amid slogans of ‘pannas khokhe, ekdum okay’ forcing him to retreat.

Fadnavis had said that permission was granted for a rally in Mira Bhayander in which MNS leaders had planned to participate but the party insisted on a specific route which posed law and order challenges.

The Mira Road township in the Western Line suburbs of Mumbai was the focal point of the Hindi-Marathi debate after a sweet shop owner was assaulted by MNS workers when he refused to speak in Marathi.

Later seven MNS workers were arrested and they were chargesheeted within four days.