MUMBAI, June 4 -- With questions being raised about the functioning of the Maharashtra State Women's Commission after the alleged dowry death of Vaishnavi Hagawane in Pune, women leaders of the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Tuesday met governor C P Radhakrishnan and complained about the Commission's functioning. The women demanded that the Vaishnavi case be transferred to the CID and non-political persons be appointed to the Women's Commission. The commission is currently headed by NCP leader Rupali Chakankar, who is drawing flak for the lack of action on the complaint of the Hagawane family's elder daughter-in-law, Mayuri Jagtap, last February. Mayuri too had claimed that she was being harassed by the family for dowry. Opposition leaders said that Vaishnavi would have been saved, had the Commission ensured strong action against the Hagawane family on Mayuri's complaint. The father-in-law of Mayuri and Vaishnavi, Rajendra Hagawane, is an NCP leader who was dismissed after the controversy over Vaishnavi's death. The Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sushma Andhare said that the chairperson of the Women's Commission needed to have knowledge of legal matters. "Non-political persons should be appointed to the post," she added. "We also demanded that the vacant posts in the Commission be filled immediately." Deputy chairperson of the legislative council Neelam Gorhe, who held a meeting to discuss the issues, rejected the demand of appointing a non-political chairperson. However, softer corrective measures such as regular meetings at the divisional offices and the filling of vacant posts in the commission were accepted. The meeting was attended by Chakankar. "We discussed the need for separate buildings for the women's commission to increase the dialogue between it and social organisations," said Gorhe. "Measures will be taken for the standardisation of various services from the commission." The Sena leader also expressed the need for more powers, more funds and trained manpower for the commission. Ruling party leaders were defensive when questioned. "It is unfortunate that the opposition is politicising the issue instead of giving suggestions to help women better through the Commission," said Chakankar. Added NCP women and child welfare minister Aditi Tatkare, "They should have come to the meeting with their suggestions."...