The ill-treatment meted out to former deputy chief minister has been condemned.
The Maharashtra Assembly Speaker today ordered the suspension of a police officer for allegedly abusing NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal in his absence.
The opposition alleged that it was a breach of privilege, as Mr Bhujbal is an MLA, while the ruling ally Shiv Sena demanded action in similar cases where its own MLAs were allegedly ill-treated by government officials.
Raising the issue, NCP's Jitendra Awhad said that sub-inspector Mahaveer Jadhav of Srigonda police station in Ahmednagar district barged into the house of a local person on June 8, and abused his family. He also abused Mr Bhujbal, though the NCP leader had no connection with the family.
"I am providing the entire video clip (of the incident)....It is a deliberate attempt to insult the members of the House and a breach of their privilege," Mr Awhad said.
Mr Bhujbal himself spoke about the incident. "I was abused despite having never visited that village. I do not have any connection with the family and the police official," he told the House.
Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Congress) and NCP leader Ajit Pawar said if no action was taken in this case, it would embolden officials to misbehave with MLAs.
"We represent and work for people. Yet there are cases when officials ill-treat people's representatives," Mr Vikhe-Patil said.
Condemning the "ill-treatment" meted out to Mr Bhujbal, the Shiv Sena's chief whip Sunil Prabhu cited two similar cases pertaining to his party's MLAs Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Rajesh Kshirsagar, and demanded action.