During his visit to Pune city after taking charge as MPCC president, Harshavardhan Sapkal on Saturday criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during his regime. He also debunked Ravindra Dhangekar for leaving the party. ''Were the police asleep while Prashant Koratkar, who insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, fled? The state's law and order situation is deteriorating. Is Maharashtra’s home department being run like “Ghashiram Kotwal? The state needs a full-time, capable home minister. Why is Deputy CM Shinde, who warned of pressing sedition charges against me, silent on Rahul Solapurkar’s statements?,'' asked Sapkal while addressing reporters in Pune on Saturday. Alleging that the Fadnavis administration protects those who insult Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sapkal questioned how Prashant Koratkar, who had been given police protection despite insulting Shivaji Maharaj, managed to escape. Sapkal alleged that Koratkar had close ties with IPS officers and the home minister, raising suspicions that the police deliberately allowed him to flee. He demanded answers from the government: "What was the government doing while Koratkar was fleeing? Was the home department asleep?" Sapkal pointed out that Rahul Solapurkar, who resides in Pune, made offensive remarks about Shivaji Maharaj. ''Despite this, Pune’s Police Commissioner claims that no case can be filed against him and has instead provided him with police protection,'' he said. Sapkal highlighted multiple law and order failures in the state. He raised the issue of rape at Swargate Bus Stand, the brutal murder of a sarpanch in Beed, custodial death of a youth in Parbhani, an assault on a Union minister’s worker in Pune, harassment of another Union minister’s daughter in Jalgaon, forcing the minister to personally visit the police station to file a complaint. "The police force has lost all its control and authority. The state’s law and order have collapsed, and Devendra Fadnavis is running a dictatorial administration," he said. Sapkal recalled how, when he compared Fadnavis’s governance to that of Aurangzeb, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde demanded an apology and even called for sedition charges against him. “I stand by my words. There is no question of apologising. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar assured an inquiry, but why are both Deputy CMs silent about Rahul Solapurkar’s statements? When will action be taken against Prashant Koratkar?" he asked. He further raised concerns about Pune’s growing drug trade. "Students from across the state come to Pune for education, but drugs are being openly sold here. The connection between Pune and the drugs arriving from Gujarat’s Kandla port must be investigated. The public is now questioning whether Maharashtra’s Home Department is being run like 'Ghashiram Kotwal.' The state needs a full-time, capable home minister," he stated. Sapkal also pointed out the selective nature of police action: "While those making offensive remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are not punished, issues like Aurangzeb’s tomb are being dug up for political mileage. Threats are being made to demolish the tomb. But if Aurangzeb was cruel, so were the British. They orchestrated the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and executed revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, and yet their collaborators in India continued to enjoy pensions. Will the VHP and Bajrang Dal now demolish their statues and memorials too?" Without naming Dhangekar, Sapkal said despite being fielded by the party, he left for the sake of power. Dhangekar has joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena earlier this month. Several senior Congress leaders attended the press conference, including Maharashtra Congress Vice President Mohan Joshi, former minister Ramesh Bagwe, Pune Congress president Arvind Shinde, former MLA and Pune District Congress president Sanjay Jagtap, Sanjay Balgude, Anant Gadgil, and Deepti Chaudhary. Following the press conference, Sapkal also addressed a gathering of Pune City and District Congress Committee members, as well as Pimpri-Chinchwad party workers.
