Mumbai, March 23 Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Monday termed the alleged police action against some elected members of the Satara Zilla Parishad last week as a "murder of democracy", accusing authorities of misusing power to influence the local body election results.
Responding to the issue in the state assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said a proper inquiry would be conducted and appropriate action would be taken based on its findings.
The election to the Satara Zilla Parishad (ZP) president's post was held on Friday.
Priya Shinde, of the BJP, was elected as the president of the local governing body, defeating the Shiv Sena-NCP combine's candidate despite the latter having the majority. The BJP narrowly surpassed the Sena-NCP alliance's tally to win the top post.
The police allegedly took some Zilla Parishad members away before the voting.
State ministers Shamhuraj Desai of the Shiv Sena and Makarand Patil of the NCP have also alleged that the local police manhandled them during the election. Desai is the guardian minister of Satara.
The BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and NCP headed by Sunetra Pawar share power in Maharashtra as part of the Mahayuti government.
Maharashtra legislative council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe on Monday directed the government to suspend Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi over the ruckus and manhandling during the Zilla Parishad president election.
Referring to the matter in the legislative assembly, Deputy CM Shinde said, "Preventing an elected representative from casting their vote is nothing but a murder of democracy. It is a serious crime. I told the SP not to take any anti-democratic steps, but the police treated elected representatives like seasoned criminals and removed them from the Satara Zilla Parishad premises."
Shinde said Desai and Patil had informed him that an elected Zilla Parishad member was booked in an old case dating back five to ten years. The deputy CM further said that he immediately contacted Satara SP Doshi, who told him the case had been registered and action would follow.
Shinde said he instructed the police that no elected member should be prevented from exercising their franchise, citing court directives that guarantee the right to vote.
He added that he escalated the matter to the Director General of Police, Sadanand Date, expressing concern that there could be misuse of power as the Sena-NCP alliance held a narrow majority by two votes in the Satara Zilla Parishad.
According to him, despite assurances from senior police officials, the local police went ahead with their action and some ZP members were taken away before voting.
Shinde said he then again contacted senior officials and questioned the timing of any action, asking what purpose it served if the members were released only after voting concluded.
Such an incident was unprecedented in Maharashtra's political history, the Shiv Sena chief said, and alleged that the move appeared aimed at altering the electoral outcome.
Responding to the issue, CM Fadnavis told the House that an inquiry would be conducted and based on it, appropriate action would be taken.