4 min readPuneUpdated: Jun 29, 2026 08:54 PM IST
Nagpur Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil on Monday defended his participation in a public meeting of the Sakal Hindu Samaj stating that he has not violated any rules and that he has attended programmes organised by members of different religions.
Addressing a press conference after assuming charge as the new Commissioner of Nagpur, Nangre Patil said that representatives of Sakal Hindu Samaj, Sanpada, had personally invited him for the programme, organised on April 19.
“The representatives who came to invite me included architects, doctors and chartered accountants. I still have that invitation with me,” he said, adding that the event featured speakers from different fields.
Patil is in the middle of a raging political storm in Maharashtra after a 45-second video clip, in which the 1997-batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre was seen addressing a public meeting of the Sakal Hindu Samaj (SHS), surfaced on social media.
SHS is a loose conglomeration of Hindu outfits such as the VHP, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, Hindu Pratisthan, and Durga Vahini.
During the meeting, Patil praises the RSS and describes its founder Dr K B Hedgewar as a “farsighted nationalist”.
“It is not appropriate to comment on the meanings others may derive from my speech. I have not violated any conduct rules,” Nangre Patil said.
The commissioner said he regularly attends constructive programmes organised by followers of different religions. “Every year, during Ramzan and Eid, in different capacities, I attend programmes organised by members of the Jain, Buddhist and Christian communities. I do so regularly.”
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He clarified that the programme had taken place after office hours at around 8 pm.
Nangre Patil said this was his first posting in Nagpur, popularly known as the Orange City and Tiger Capital. (Image shared by Nagpur police PRO)
Nangre Patil took over the charge as the Nagpur Commissioner from the former CP Ravinder Singal Monday.
He said that maintaining law and order, strengthening core policing, protecting women, children and weaker sections, and addressing issues concerning youth would be among his top priorities during his tenure in Nagpur.
Nangre Patil said this was his first posting in Nagpur, popularly known as the Orange City and Tiger Capital.
“Certainly, it is a great responsibility. The Chief Minister has reposed faith in me by assigning me to work here, and the Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra, has certain expectations regarding how core policing should function, how law and order should be maintained, and how issues concerning women, children, weaker sections of society and youth should be prioritised. These matters will receive special attention and priority,” he said.
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Nangre Patil was also asked about his opinion on the comments by Nagpur Congress President Prafulla Gudadhe Patil, who alleged that the BJP had branded him an “urban Naxal,” and expressed fears that the new police commissioner might also label him similarly and even stage an encounter against him.
“We have immense respect and regard for everyone. With due respect, I want to say that I am an officer of the Indian Police Service. My commitment is to the Constitution of India and to the constitutional values. The guiding principles laid down in the Constitution require us to maintain the rule of law, which is my primary responsibility. Nagpur is the city of Dr BR Ambedkar’s Deekshabhoomi, and we have been, are, and will remain committed to his thoughts, principles and the Constitutional values,” he responded.
