Pune, Aug 25 (IBNS): Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Madhukar Pichad has backed state Home Minister R R Patil and said he should not resign from the post in the wake of the recent violence in Mumbai's Azad Maidan.

Madhukar on Friday said Patil is an 'honest' leader of the party and there is no question of his 'resignation'.

He made the comments during a day-long study camp of district NCP workers in Pune.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday  demanded Patil's resignation for the violent incident this month at Azad Maidan when a minority group organization supporters went bersek at an Assam protest gathering, leading to killings, arson and even attack on women cops and mediapersons.

Raj demanded the resignation of the home minister as well as and Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik.

Demanding Patil's resignation, Raj Thackeray said: "RR Patil, Arup Patnaik should quit."

Pertinently, Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik, who received a lot of criticism for his handling of recent violence in the city's Azad Maidan, was transferred this week.

Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Satyapal Singh was appointed the new police commissioner of Mumbai.

According to reports, Patnaik has been promoted to the rank of Director General (DG).

He has been posted as the Managing Director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), reports said.

The Maharashtra Home Department had also proposed to transfer Patnaik following the incident, media reports said.

At least two people were killed and 50 injured on Aug 11 in violence that erupted at a protest meeting in Mumbai organised to decry the Assam violence.

Some women cops were molested during the protest.

Some members of the minority group were later arrested.