Overview
- A short video that circulated on social media earlier this week shows Vishwas Nangre Patil, newly posted as Nagpur police commissioner, addressing a Hindu Sammelan and praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
- The Maharashtra Congress has publicly demanded an inquiry and asked the state to confirm whether Patil obtained mandatory prior permission required under the All India Services (Conduct) Rules.
- Patil declined to comment when contacted, while sources close to him said other government officials and ISKCON leaders attended the event and pointed to his past participation in communal events such as iftar.
- The event organiser, Sakal Hindu Samaj, is linked in a Maharashtra government compliance affidavit to at least 19 FIRs over provocative or hate-filled speeches in early 2023, which critics say heightens reputational risk for the police.
- As of June 26 there has been no public disciplinary action or official state clarification, and the issue now centers on whether procedural permission was granted and on the broader trust in civil-service neutrality.