Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, hours after the State government revoked the home department’s order for transfer of 10 DCPs in the city.
The meeting took place at ‘Matoshree’, Mr. Thackeray’s residence in Bandra, an official in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.
Mr. Singh’s meeting assumed importance as the government on Sunday revoked the home department’s order to transfer 10 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) of the Mumbai Police that once again triggered talks about the lack of coordination between Shiv Sena and NCP, two of the three constituents of the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
According to a police official, the order for the transfer of DCPs had been issued on Thursday. But as per the fresh order issued on Sunday, the transfer was cancelled and the DCPs were asked to continue with their current postings.
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who belongs to the NCP, on Sunday said, “The CMO as well as the home department office revoked the transfers done by the Mumbai Police Commissioner.”
He also claimed that there was good coordination among the MVA allies Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress and there were no differences.
The minister, however, did not specify any reason behind the cancellation of the transfer order.
However, sources in the home department said the revocation of the transfer order was a “rethink” done by the government due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The transfers were cancelled since the government felt any changes at this juncture would hurt the coordination process and also impact the on-ground deployment of police personnel, who are the frontline COVID-19 warriors,” the sources said.
