Raj Thackeray Asks IPS Officer Vishwas Nangare Patil to Quit, Join RSS Over Speech Row

MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday criticised senior IPS officer Vishwas Nangare Patil over his speech at a Hindu Sammelan , asking him to resign from the police service and join the RSS if he wanted to publicly express his admiration for the organisation.

The controversy began after an undated video of Nangare Patil’s address at an event organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj went viral, with opposition parties alleging that the speech raised questions over the officer’s political neutrality . Nangare Patil was recently appointed as the Nagpur Police Commissioner .

In a Facebook post, Thackeray said a police officer’s loyalty must remain with the duties and responsibilities of the force , accusing Nangare Patil of showing “dual loyalty” by publicly appearing to support the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) .

“If you have affection or admiration for the RSS, keep it to yourself. If you wish to express it publicly, resign from service and join the RSS or the BJP,” Thackeray said, questioning whether a serving police officer should attend such gatherings.

The Maharashtra Congress has also demanded an inquiry into the speech, claiming it raises concerns about the officer’s compliance with service conduct rules and impartiality.

Thackeray cited a 2012 incident involving a police constable during an MNS protest, saying action was taken against the officer for allegedly compromising neutrality. He questioned whether similar standards would be applied in Nangare Patil’s case, reigniting the debate over the political neutrality of serving government officials.