'Resign From Service and Join the RSS or the BJP': Raj Thackeray Slams IPS Officer's Speech at Right-Wing Event

New Delhi: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday (June 27) slammed senior IPS officer Vishwas Nangare Patil over the latter’s presence at the a Hindu Sakal Samaj event and where Thackeray said he "praised" the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Thackeray said that the senior police officer should resign and join the right-wing organisation if he wished to publicly express his admiration for it, reported Deccan Herald.

"Have you (Nangare Patil) forgotten that you are a police officer and that impartiality is one of the foremost expectations from someone in your position? If you have affection or admiration for the RSS, keep it to yourself,” Thackeray said in a Facebook Post.

“If you wish to express it publicly, then resign from service and join the RSS or the BJP. After all, for the past several years, there has practically been a guaranteed rehabilitation scheme for favoured officers. You too would surely be accommodated,” he added.

The MNS chief said that a police officer's loyalty should lie solely with the duties and responsibilities of the force but it seems that Nangare Patil is eager to publicly demonstrate his allegiance to the RSS and appears to have suddenly developed an inclination to show dual loyalty.

Thackeray’s comments came have come come after an undated video of Nangare Patil’s speech at the Hindu Sammelan organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj went viral on Thursday (June 25), sparking a row.

Earlier this week, Nangare Patil was appointed the Nagpur police commissioner.

Opposition parties including the Maharashtra Congress have demanded an inquiry into the speech speech delivered by the senior official at the event, saying that it raises questions about his neutrality and compliance with service rules.

In his post, Thackeray said that while every political party or organisation claiming to be non-political has the right to organise events and express their views, the real issue is whether a serving government officer – particularly a police officer – should attend such a gathering.

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