MUMBAI, Sept 27: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has written to the Election Commission seeking immediate removal of Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla, saying such a step is necessary to ensure the ensuing assembly polls are conducted in a fair and free manner.
In a letter to the EC dated September 24, he alleged the 1988-batch IPS officer has been given illegal extension to the top post by the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP-led Mahayuti government.
“The issue pertains to the illegal extension and misuse of power by Rashmi Shukla, currently holding the position of Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra, along with the additional charge of Director General in charge of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
“Rashmi Shukla was due to retire on 30th June 2024, upon reaching the age of superannuation. However, she has been illegally granted an extension until January 2026, in direct violation of the Maharashtra Police Act, which stipulates that the DGP shall have a term of two years or until their retirement, whichever is earlier,” Patole pointed out.
Shukla was appointed the state police chief in January 2024.
In addition to this unlawful extension, Shukla has a history of engaging in “illegal activities” that raise serious concerns about her impartiality and ability to perform her duties with integrity, the Congress legislator alleged in the letter.
He claimed the top IPS officer has been involved in illegal tapping of opposition leaders’ phones, misleading competent authorities in the process.
Several cases were registered against her, but they were shelved following the change of government in Maharashtra with the BJP coming into power (in June 2022 in alliance with Shiv Sena), maintained the MPCC president.
“During her tenure as the DGP, she has actively misused her position to harass and threaten opposition leaders, often generating false inquiries and registering baseless cases against them. She has acted as a political campaigner for the BJP, compromising the integrity and non-partisan nature of her role as a senior police officer,” Patole claimed.
As the DG in-charge of the ACB, Shukla has summoned opposition party leaders and members to police stations and offices of the anti-graft agency, using her powers to coerce and intimidate them, the Congress leader alleged.
“She has aligned the State Intelligence Department (SID) with the interests of the BJP, a trend observed during her previous tenure as Commissioner of SID. Given the above instances of political bias, misuse of government machinery, and illegal activities, it is impossible to ensure a fair and impartial environment for the upcoming elections in Maharashtra while Shukla continues to hold power over the state police,” he emphasised.
Her removal as the DGP and DG of the ACB is crucial to safeguard the democratic process and ensure the elections, likely to be held in November, are conducted in a fair, free, and transparent manner, Patole insisted.
Meanwhile, in an interview with PTI Videos, the Congress leader claimed Shukla was behind the controversial police encounter of Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde on September 23.
During the interview, Patole spoke on a range of issues, from polls to the 288-member assembly, to Ladki Bahin Yojana to his party’s role in forming the next government if the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comes to power in the state.
Asked about the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a mega financial assistance programme of the Mahayuti government targeted at poor women, the MPCC president termed it has a “Congress scheme” which is in force in Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, and maintained the party will continue it on coming to power in Maharashtra.
Asked about the Congress’s poll prospects in Mumbai, a stronghold of its ally Shiv Sena (UBT), Patole insisted his party has strong voter base in 15 to 16 seats out of the total 36 in the metropolis.
Replying to a question, the Congress leader asserted the MVA will remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation on assuming office.
“We will increase the existing (26 per cent) reservation for OBCs, provide quota to Marathas, find a way to meet quota demands of other communities. We will not do injustice to any community,” he emphasised.
Patole predicted the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre will not complete its tenure and collapse mid-way.
“The day MVA forms a government in Maharashtra, the Modi government in Delhi will fall,” the Congress leader insisted. (PTI)
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