Mira Bhayandar: Within 24 hours of the MNS rally in Mira-Bhayandar, where police initially denied permission only to give clearance after protests, the state govt on Wednesday transferred Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police chief Madhukar Pandey and replaced him with IPS officer Niket Kaushik, reports Vishal Rajemahadik.The rally was a counter to a protest by traders last week against the MNS attack on a shop owner for not speaking Marathi. It was preceded by a pre-dawn crackdown on MNS leaders and detentions of party supporters, described by the opposition and Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik as excessive action aimed at suppressing Marathi sentiment.A day after the rally led by MNS in Mira-Bhayandar as a counter to last week’s protest by traders over Marathi speaking row, top cop Madhukar Pandey has been transferred and will now be additional director general (administration) in the state, a low-profile post that involves less interaction with the public. Niket Kaushik, the man who replaces him as police chief in the suburbs of Thane, was earlier the additional director general of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.Govt termed the transfer a routine one though eyebrows are being raised since it happened a day after the MNS rally. Mira Road police had been criticised for denying permission for the march though it was sought well in advance. While Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik had questioned police action, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had defended refusal of permission saying MNS deviated from the normal route sanctioned for demonstrations. He said there was information that there could be a law and order issue.MNS leaders from Mumbai had reached Mira Road to participate in it. Shiv Sena (UBT) activists also joined the march. Sarnaik was heckled by demonstrators when he visited the site to express solidarity with Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, which was among the organisers. He later said police had mishandled the situation. In the Vidhan Bhavan, he said he had spoken to Pandey and expressed dissatisfaction about denial of permission. He questioned the police action allowing traders to take out a protest march without police permission.Sarnaik also said it was not proper to detain someone early in the morning. MNS leaders, including its Palghar and Thane district chief Avinash Jadhav, were taken into preventive custody at 3am which had charged up the cadre and the locals. A prohibitory order was issued against Jadhav by police on Monday, restraining him from entering Mira Bhayandar to participate in the rally. He was released later in the day. The opposition had termed the police action as an attempt by the state govt to suppress Marathi voices.
