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Our Bureaus NCP veteran Sharad Pawar stepped into the breach in the Shiv Sena/NCP/Congress coalition Government over former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh’s allegations of corruption against the State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
While questioning the timing of the allegation, the NCP veteran said the Chief Minister and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is the final authority to take a decision regarding Deshmukh.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Pawar dismissed the threat to the alliance Government in Maharashtra and suggested an independent investigation by a person of credibility like Julio Ribeiro into the allegations of corruption against the Home Minister, the issue involving a car with explosives and a threat letter found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house (Antilia) and the owner of the vehicle found dead later.
The murky tale traces its roots to suspended police officer Sachin Vaze who is in the custody of the National Investigation Agency in connection with the explosives case. The issue spiralled into a full-blown political crisis on Sunday after a letter written by Param Bir Singh (former police commissioner of Mumbai) was plastered across some newspapers with allegations that Anil Deshmukh had demanded ₹100 crore every month from Sachin Vaze.
Pawar said that the alliance leaders will meet in Delhi tomorrow to discuss the issue threadbare and asserted that while efforts are on to destabilise the Maharashtra government, these will “prove to be futile”. “There will be no impact on the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. It will complete five years in office,” said Pawar.
The NCP chief said while allegations made by the former Mumbai police commissioner are serious, but “The timing of these allegations against Anil Deshmukh has to be looked into. Why now? Param Bir Singh has made all these allegations after he was transferred,” he said. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the party will launch an agitation seeking Deshmukh’s resignation.
BJP moves
Political observer Vijay Chormare believes that Fadnavis is “determined to come back.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that allegations of corruption levelled against Deshmukh are “very serious” and said it is “time for introspection”.
Sena insiders say that Uddhav is keen that Anil Deshmukh resigns from the post and has communicated this to NCP chief Sharad Pawar. However, Congress has preferred to keep mum on the developments.
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