The confrontation between Pune Municipal Commissioner Arun Bhatia and the PMC reached a flashpoint yesterday, with Bhatia suspending 20 officials who had gone on ``strike'' under the guise of ``mass casual leave.''

The officials had rebelled against Bhatia's alleged high-handed behaviour and the ``mental harassment'' caused to them.

Pune Mayor Datta Gaikwad joined issue with the officials, and charged Bhatia with having a ``penchant'' for digging up old cases and records which hampered the city's development.

Rallying strongly behind Bhatia, the organisations told Scindia that they would not support any party that attempted to obstruct Bhatia in the discharge of his duties as the municipal commissioner.

In a memorandum to Scindia, the organisations said, in thebackground of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)'s merger with the Congress, ``If the Congress hopes to do well in Pune, kindly align your joint forces with those who will support the work of honest and upright officers like Mr Arun Bhatia in their efforts to alleviate the misery of the poor and achieve some real development in this city.''

``Anyone who is seen to be undermining and employing other diversionary tactics as in the case of Mayor Datta Gaikwad and his men will not succeed'', the memoramdum said, referring to the fact that MVA founder and Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Kalmadi was instrumental in the Mayor's appointment.

``Pune wants the MVA and Congress corporators to shape up or ship out. The city needs Mr Arun Bhatia to complete his term as municipal commissioner and see the projects set into motion by him reach their conclusion'', the memorandum said.

The orgnisations heaped praise on Bhatia for the recovery of tax arrears, Mutha river improvement, work on water supply, sewerage, health andsanitation and the introduction of efficient and trasparent systems in the corporation's functioning.

``A budget allocation of Rs 38 crore has been sought by him (Bhatia) for the setting up of toilets and drains for Pune's 500 slums and basic civic facilities in the newly-merged fringe villages,'' the organisations said in the memorandum, adding that Gaikwad and members of the MVA (now merged with the Congress) were not only stalling these plans but were also demanding Bhatia's ouster.

The groups include the Citizens Action Group, Sant Ghatge Maharaj Basti Mahila Mandal, Womens' Wing of the Consumers Forum, Kalyani Nagar Mohalla Committee, Model Colony Parisar Sudharna, Parisar, Intach and the Aundh Vikas Mohalla Committee.