Thackeray FB row: Sena calls Palghar bandh on Wednesday

The shops were closed  and train services have been suspended following the bandh call by the Shiv Sena in Palghar on Wednesday.Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan defended the suspension of two police officers over the arrest of two girls for their posts on Facebook regarding the bandh observed for Bal Thackeray's funeral.

 Shaheen Dhada and Renu Srinivasan were arrested under IPC sections 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 505(2) IPC (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and the IT Act.

Shiv Sena MLA from Thane Eknath Shinde said the call for the bandh was given by the party's local unit. Criticising the suspension of the two police officers, he
said, "The police acted as per the prevailing situation. Even the girls do not have any complaint against the police."

The  inspector general (Konkan range) Sukhwinder Singh termed the arrest of two girls hailing from Palghar as an irrelevant act of haste.

But the charges against the two girls arrested for posting comments on Facebook criticising the general shutdown on Bal Thackeray cremation, remain to be dropped.

Earlier in the day, Thane rural SP Ravindra Sengaonkar and senior police inspector in Palghar, Shreekant Pingle, were suspended and a departmental enquiry ordered against them for applying wrong charges against the two girls while Additional SP Sangram Nishandar was "warned in writing and reprimanded" for dereliction of duty.

Announcing the action against the policemen, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil said, "Wrong sections were appliedagainst the girls and there was no need to take hasty action (against the girls),".

 Shiv Sainiks had ransacked the clinic of one of the girl's uncle in protest against her Facebook comment.

Minister wants charges against two girls dropped
   

Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan  demanded that charges slapped on the two Palghar girls in connection with their Facebook posts against the shutdown during Sena chief Bal Thackeray's funeral should immediately be dropped.

 He said that with special IG (Konkan range) Sukhwinder Singh's report indicting the police for framing wrong charges,no case can be made against the girls and charges against them should be dropped.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil has said that senior officers would study the case and decide whether to drop charges against the girls.