Maharashtra Cong debates taking over home ministry from NCP

A section of the Maharashtra Congress unit has raked up an old demand of staking claim to the politically-sensitive home portfolio. The home department is held by its ally, the Nationalist Congress Party.

The demand was raised following a string of incidents, including the murder of a senior crime investigation editor of Mid Day on Saturday in Mumbai’s north east suburb, the killing of four innocent youths in the western suburb and the release of eight murder accused who had allegedly burnt alive additional collector Yashwant Sonawane.

A section of the party state unit has argued that rising criminal activities and the deterioration of law and order in various parts of the state is affecting the image of the Congress-led state government.

A former Congress minister, requesting anonymity, told Business Standard: “First of all, it is so absurd that the Congress, despite heading a coalition government, is not holding the home department since 1999. During the portfolio sharing the Congress gave away the home department to NCP. The time is ripe to take it back.”

“The killing of the Mid Day journalist and the recent attempt to murder Dawood Ibrahim’s brother by rival gang members have revealed that the law enforcement agencies are either clueless or lack adequate coordination.” The Congress leader said the party has sought Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s intervention to nab the curlprits involved in the killing of the senior journalist and to direct the police to shape up or ship out.

He admitted that the deteriorating law and order in various parts of the state and the revival of gangwar, would adversely affect the party’s prospects in the ensuing elections to the civic bodies. “Already, the opposition has launched campaigns against corruption and malpractices during the Congress-NCP rule. The opposition will use every opportunity to fire salvo against the state government on the law and order issue. Several party leaders have already suggested that the home department be held by the chief minister.”

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre, however, declined to comment. He said the party has appealed to the chief minister to arrest the assailants of the journalist. “The party will direct its ministers to support the proposed legislation to curb attack on journalists in the state. Besides, the party would like the state government to tighten measures for maintenance of law and order situation.”

A NCP minister admitted that effective measures were needed but ruled out the possibility of handing over the home department to the Congress.