A day after a letter allegedly written by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh levelled charges of ‘extortion’ against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, BJP’s Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanded that Mr. Deshmukh resign immediately.
Mr. Fadnavis further alleged that former Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Subodh Jaiswal, too, had submitted an extensive report to the Chief Minister in which he allegedly pointed to rampant corruption within the State Home Department.
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“Param Bir Singh’s letter is not the first one to expose irregularities within the State Home Department. Subodh Jaiswal, too, had submitted an extensive report on this to the Chief Minister raising issues regarding functioning of the Home Department in which he highlighted the racket of transfers within the Police Department and the exchange of money. He had submitted this report along with transcripts,” said the BJP leader, speaking in Nagpur on Sunday.
Remarking that the series of incidents after the arrest of Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Vaze in connection with the security scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence had cast aspersions on the functioning of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Mr. Fadnavis said the BJP demanded a court-monitored inquiry and that it would keep on agitating until Mr. Deshmukh submitted his resignation.
The former Chief Minister further said the matter could not be satisfactorily investigated till Mr. Deshmukh stays on his post and that the latter would first have to resign.
“Param Bir Singh’s letter contains irrefutable evidence. So, one cannot simply ignore it. At the same time, an impartial inquiry can only be possible after the Home Minister resigns. Today, the question is who runs this Department? Mr. Deshmukh or his colleague in the Shiv Sena, Anil Parab,” Mr. Fadnavis said, adding that several loose ends in the Antilia bomb scare affair had to be probed.
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Hitting out at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Mr. Fadnavis accused the former of attempting to defend Mr. Deshmukh.
“I cannot blame Mr. Pawar as he is the creator of this [tripartite MVA] alliance. So, he is bound to defend Mr. Deshmukh and try and save this government. His press conference [in New Delhi] was mere window-dressing,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Terming the allegations levelled against Mr. Deshmukh “serious”, the NCP chief had said Mr. Thackeray had full authority to take a decision on the matter.
When questioned whether the BJP was attempting to destabilise the MVA in Maharashtra, Mr. Pawar said: “I don't know whether efforts are being made or not to topple the government. All I can say is that they will have no impact on the government.”
Countering Mr. Pawar’s statements, Mr. Fadnavis asserted that the NCP chief, in his press conference, had forgotten to state that Mr. Vaze had been reinstated at the behest of Mr. Thackeray and Mr. Deshmukh.
Mr. Fadnavis’ demand for Mr. Deshmukh’s resignation was echoed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who demanded the Centre's intervention in the affair while stating that the MVA government headed by his cousin Uddhav Thackeray was “incapable” of handling the matter.
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