Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh transferred but Fadnavis has more questions

The statement by the Nationalist Congress Party NCP boss and Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA governmentrsquos architect Sharad Pawar where he told reporters that the Chief Minister should be asked regarding the transfer of the cityrsquos top is said to have sealed IPS officer Param Bir Singhrsquos fate Frenetic activities that took place before and after Pawarrsquos observation that the wrongdoers in the Sachin Waze case shouldnrsquot go scotfree indicated that a reshuffle in the police department was imminentDevendra Fadnavis leader of the OppositionOn the political side the tripartite coalition saw the NCP and the Congress distancing themselves from the controversy putting the blame indirectly on the Shiv Sena The NCP defended Home Minister Anil Deshmukh saying that all his statements were made based on the information he was given by the police department Obviously Thackeray too was briefed by the police department which ultimately was taken to task on WednesdayThe Opposition has accused the chief minister of protecting Waze a former Sena spokespersonIn a series of meetings held on Tuesday options for the post of Commissioner of Police were explored A day before this Pawar had met CM Uddhav Thackeray apparently to discuss the same issue It is also said that Pawar had suggested transferring Waze when the Opposition had threatened to stall the business on the last day of the Budget Session The suggestion was acted upon and the budget was passedSinghrsquos replacement was found in the statersquos Director General of Police incharge Hemant Nagrale AntiCorruption Bureau ACB chief Rajnish Seth was given the additional charge of the DGP Nagrale had been holding the additional charge of the DGP after Subodh Jaiswal chose to leave the state for a Central deputationChief Minister Uddhav Thackeray during an address at the opening of five cyber police stations in Mumbai in January File picThe NCP and Congress had been speaking in the same tone since more evidence came out against Waze The Opposition has been unrelenting with exCM Devendra Fadanvis digging out new informationThe ruling parties did defy Fadnavisrsquo charges but they lacked teeth Apparently removing Singh after Wazersquos arrest and subsequent suspension became a political necessity The transfer would help the government save face The resignation of a Sena minister on the eve of the Budget session had saved it some blushes but the Waze case created problems that gave rise to speculations of a split in the MVA with the Sena being pushed to the wallEven as Pawar said that controversy like this wonrsquot affect the government the issue kept intensifying with new revelations every day It was pertinent for Thackeray to act which he did on WednesdayIt is learnt that Singh didnrsquot expect the government to transfer him immediately but wished he would go out after the controversy dies down or during an annual routine reshuffle However sources said the government strongly felt that the NIA National Investigation Agency has been preparing to question Singh and that event would have proved to be a disasterSena speaksSena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the action was taken because of the doubts raised against the officersldquoThe CM thought of transferring the officer because of the kind of atmosphere the media and Opposition have created Itrsquos the governmentrsquos moral duty to act in such a mannerrdquo he said adding that Singhrsquos transferasnrsquot a routine matterHe said the Opposition may continue to create similar situations in the next three and a half years ldquoNo harm will happen to the MVA governmentrdquo he said