Raj Thackeray Targets Nagpur Police Commissioner Over RSS Remarks, Questions Civil Service Neutrality

Mumbai, June 2026 : Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday mounted a sharp attack on newly appointed Nagpur Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil, accusing the senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of compromising the neutrality expected of a serving civil servant by publicly praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In a strongly worded statement, Thackeray questioned the officer’s impartiality and suggested that if he wished to openly support the RSS or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he should resign from the police service and formally join politics.

The controversy erupted after a video surfaced on social media showing Vishwas Nangre Patil, a 1997-batch IPS officer, addressing a regional Hindu Sammelan. During his speech, the officer praised the RSS and its founder, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, describing him as a visionary nationalist whose contribution to the country deserved recognition.

Although the organisers of the Hindu Sammelan have maintained that the programme was purely cultural and non-political, Raj Thackeray rejected that assertion, arguing that the background of the organisers and the nature of the event reflected clear political affiliations.

Launching a direct attack through a post on social media, the MNS chief said that a serving police officer’s allegiance must remain exclusively with the Constitution and the responsibilities entrusted to the police force.

“A police officer’s loyalty should lie solely with his uniform and the duties assigned to him. For years we believed that the khaki colour worn by Vishwas Nangre Patil represented the police force. It now appears that the khaki symbolises the old uniform of the RSS,” Raj Thackeray remarked.

He said that personal ideological beliefs are an individual’s private matter but argued that public endorsement of any political or ideological organisation by a serving officer crosses the line of administrative neutrality.

“If you have affection for the RSS, keep it in your heart. But if you wish to publicly express your admiration, resign from service and join the RSS or the BJP. There has long been a rehabilitation scheme for favoured officers entering politics, and your rehabilitation will also take place,” Thackeray said sarcastically.

The MNS leader also questioned the silence of Maharashtra’s political leadership, asking whether Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the State Home Minister approved of such public statements by senior police officials.

According to him, the issue was not limited to one officer but involved a larger question about preserving the impartiality and credibility of institutions responsible for maintaining law and order.

To underline his argument, Raj Thackeray referred to an incident from 2012 during an MNS protest march in Mumbai against the Raza Academy. He recalled that at the time, a police constable had briefly expressed solidarity with the protesters and the police personnel deployed during the demonstration.

“The government immediately placed that constable on compulsory leave because he had compromised the neutrality expected from a serving policeman,” Thackeray noted.

He questioned whether the present government would apply the same standards in Vishwas Nangre Patil’s case or whether different rules were being enforced depending on the ideological inclination of the individual involved.

“Will the government demonstrate the same administrative courage today, or are the rules applicable only when the ideology differs?” he asked.

Raj Thackeray further warned that continued political neutrality among the bureaucracy was essential for maintaining public confidence in governance. He expressed concern that at a time when elected representatives frequently change political loyalties, even senior civil servants appearing to align with ideological organisations could severely damage the credibility of public institutions.

Despite his criticism, Thackeray acknowledged Vishwas Nangre Patil’s reputation as a capable and efficient police officer who has earned public respect through his professional career.

Addressing the officer directly, he said, “You have built your reputation through hard work and dedication. Do not diminish that by appearing to chase the approval of governments or organisations that support them. Do not mortgage your institutional integrity for political acceptance.”

Raj Thackeray’s remarks come only days after the Maharashtra Congress also criticised Vishwas Nangre Patil’s speech, alleging that it raised serious concerns regarding constitutional propriety and administrative impartiality.

The Congress argued that the controversy extended beyond an individual officer and reflected what it described as a broader erosion of civil service neutrality. The party demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarify whether the state government endorses serving police officers publicly expressing ideological preferences.

According to the Congress, failure to address the issue would establish a dangerous precedent that could weaken the independence and credibility of Maharashtra’s administrative machinery in the years ahead.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)