Pune: Congress on Sunday waded into the controversy of the sudden and alleged ‘politically motivated’ transfer of Shekhar Gaikwad from the post of Pune Municipal Commissioner. Sanjay Balgude, Secretary of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee has said that this “transfer of Shekhar Gaikwad has spoiled the image of the state government. This decision should be revoked and Gaikwad should be reinstated as the Pune Municipal Commissioner.”

In a statement issued, Balgude says, “While giving relaxations from the lockdown, Gaikwad had done good planning due to which the economy and business activities in the city were returning to normalcy. Gaikwad was fighting like a warrior during this crisis. He had unearthed many corruption scandals in the PMC and had saved the taxpayers money. He had put several restrictions on the unnecessary spending spree by the BJP corporators in the PMC. His transfer is a symbol of vendetta politics.”

“Shekhar Gaikwad had refused to be pawn of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) corporators in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and hence he was transferred under political pressure from the BJP. This transfer has unnecessarily tarnished the image of MahaVikas Aghadi’s government in the state,” Balgude said.

Balgude has stated in the letter that, “Gaikwad had taken charge just six months before in the month of January. Within two months of his appointment, the city had to face the worst health crisis of Covid-19 outbreak. Gaikwad’s work in the last four months while handling the crisis is appreciable. Even though the number of COVID-cases are rising in Pune city, we should also note that the number of patients recovered from COVID has also increased. Some from the BJP wanted him to be their pawn and they used their political influence to transfer him. If he had to be transferred, then why was he sent back as Sugar Commissioner again? Was he brought for just six months to the PMC? Earlier too, a municipal commissioner was transferred due to pressure from a contractor.”