Nowadays wherever I go, in the country or abroad, people ask only one question: What is going on in Maharashtra? How do I answer this question? It just hurts and breeds anger that because of some people, our state is getting maligned in the country and abroad. Petty politics and drug proliferation have vitiated the atmosphere in Maharashtra. Our administrative staff is also falling victim to this vicious circle and it is directly affecting the progress of the state. All I want to say to those who are creating obstacles in the path of the state’s progress is to stop playing with the honour of Maharashtra immediately. People have been hurt by the defamation of the state.
I have seen days when administrative officials and politicians from other states would visit Maharashtra to see its development story firsthand. Maharashtra police was considered the best in the whole country, but the situation as it is today is raising many questions. It is astonishing that the police machinery is unable to trace Param Bir Singh, who while serving as the Mumbai police commissioner had accused the then Maharashtra home minister of extorting Rs 100 crore per month. It is a great puzzle that Param Bir Singh has just vanished as the police have failed to trace his whereabouts! How surprising, isn’t it! Anil Deshmukh who was accused of extortion resigned as the home minister, but the CBI which is looking for him does not know where he disappeared too! Even lookout notices were issued but his whereabouts are not known. Is it impossible for the CBI to find him? Whatever be the case, the incredible story of the disappearance of both of them has certainly dented the reputation of Maharashtra.
Now the judicial process only will ascertain how much merit Param Bir Singh’s allegations hold and did Anil Deshmukh really do what Param Bir Singh has alleged in his letter to the chief minister. But the manner in which the whole affair unfolded hints at something vicious at play. While the CBI team recently summoned the state’s chief secretary Sitaram Kunte and the state’s DGP Sanjay Pandey in the cash for transfer data leak case, Mumbai police issued summons to the CBI director Subodh Jaiswal! I am not saying who is right or who is wrong, but the question is what will happen when the administrative institutions are pitted against each other like this? Today, Maharashtra is facing a similar situation. Actually, the hard working people are scared as they don’t know at what point they may fall prey! When such a situation arises, it has a very bad effect on the administrative staff. There are chances of the work getting badly affected and even coming to a standstill. It will lead to laxity in the administrative system. After all, who is accountable for all this?
I have no hesitation in saying that the allegations against Anil Deshmukh were not handled the way they should have been. This made the situation worse. The administrative steps that were expected were not taken. Maharashtra is definitely forced to bear the brunt of this inefficiency. There is no harm in saying that a very dangerous political battle is being fought in Maharashtra. It is essential that the senior administrative officers should keep in mind the framework within which they should operate and should watch out against any aberration. Administrative institutions are important; on their strength the system rests. Institutions should never come under any pressure. But a bizarre situation has arisen.
Here our state is also getting maligned due to the drug proliferation. Mumbai seems to have become a major hub of drug cartels. Even as Mumbai zonal director of Narcotics Control Bureau Sameer Wankhede has opened a front against drug peddlers, I feel saddened to see that he is becoming the target of political attacks. It is to the credit of Sameer Wankhede that he is not bowing before anyone. He is the most competent officer under whose command drugs worth about Rs 17,000 crore have been seized so far. The drug mafia trembles at his name. Such a person deserves full cooperation so that he can destroy the drug mafia which is plotting to destroy the youth of India! But unfortunately, he is being targeted.
As far as the allegations are concerned, it is becoming synonymous with the political subculture of this state. You may level allegations in politics, but there must be some proof too! Today, the situation is such that anyone can level charges against anyone as per his or her whim and fancy. A flurry of accusations is made even when there is no proof! I feel that this diatribe of unnecessary allegations should stop. If you are making allegations, there should be an accountability to prove it too. Otherwise very soon, people will stop taking the allegations seriously. You will also agree that due to the prevailing political and administrative situation, the pride and honour of the state has taken a dent. It will take time to deal with this situation but there must be a beginning somewhere. All political parties should come together and think rationally whether politics is important or the state? My only request to everyone is that no one should play with the honour of Maharashtra!
The author is the chairman, Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha. vijaydarda@lokmat.com
I wonder if this is the same state whose story of development the whole country would admire. We would raise the slogan ‘Rashtra mein Maharashtra’ with great pride. But today, the atmosphere in Maharashtra stands vitiated. The CBI is not able to trace the former home minister and the state police is unable to find the former Mumbai police chief! Are they really trying to find them?
