BJP inducts politicians with criminal background into party, alleges Shiv Sena

In the backdrop of the killing of two local Shiv Sena leaders in Ahmednagar late last week, the party mouthpiece Saamana has attacked the state government and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis raising question over the existence of the home minister.

The newspaper’s editorial, while citing the recent atrocities against women in Mumbai, has termed it a failure of the law and order in the state.

The newspaper, whose editor is party chief Uddhav Thackeray, has slammed Bharatiya Janata Party for its strategy of inducting politicians with criminal backgrounds into its fold ahead of the 2014-Assembly elections for political gain.

The mouthpiece said that Shivaji Kardile was one of them. “The people of Maharashtra know who has been mentoring these goons and who is standing firm by these criminals. The BJP leaders who bent before these elected representatives just to ensure the claim over power in the state, are responsible for these deterioration of the law and order,” it stated.

Kardile, local BJP MLA from Ahmednagar district, has been arrested for the killing of two Sena leaders. His son in law, Sangram Jagatap, and his father, Arun Jagtap, (both are Nationalist Congress Party legislators) are also behind the bars in the case along with their supporters.

Shiv Sena has been staunchly criticising the state government for the violence in the Ahmednagar district, which believably erupted as fall out of the rivalry between candidates in the fray for by polls of civic body held last week. It has been criticising BJP for joining hands with Congress and NCP in Ahmedsnagar politics to keep away Shiv Sena from the fray.

“BJP president Amit Shah had likened the opposition with snakes, mongooses, dogs and cats in his speech during party’s foundation day last week. But these same ‘animals’ (from opposition) were given shelter in 2014 for political benefits and now they are posing threat to the law and order. The Ahmednagar killing is a blot on the image of the state,” the editorial says.

Saamana has questioned whether the government has home minister in existence. During the public interview with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis by Saamana’s executive editor Sanjay Raut on Monday, the former was questioned if the state should have an independent home minister.

In response the CM had said, “Most of the administrative powers related to the police force lie with the chief minister. Even the then home minister RR Patil used to tell me that the home department should be handled by the CM as powers of transfer or suspension and clearing crucial cases are bestowed with the head of the government. I don’t think there should be a separate home minister or the department has failed in controlling crime. The crime rate has dropped and the conviction rate has improved,” he said.