Highlights:
- In the wake of accusations of corruption against state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, a BJP delegation headed by Devendra Fadnavis met governor of Maharashtra.
- The BJP wants the governor to submit a report to the President on the charges levelled against Anil Deshmukh.
- The Maharashtra Cabinet is meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday and is expected to discuss the Deshmukh issue.
The former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis led a delegation of leaders of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and arrived at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on Wednesday morning to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari amid fast-paced political developments in Maharashtra.
The delegation, which included state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil and other leaders, presented the governor with a memorandum requesting him to submit President Ram Nath Kovind a report on the current situation in Maharashtra.
Mumbai: Delegation of BJP leaders led by Devendra Fadnavis met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan and handed over their memorandum pic.twitter.com/beeR22ZZhd
— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2021
The BJP has been attacking the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the three-party alliance, which currently governs the state, over the charges against state home minister Anil Deshmukh, and has demanded his resignation. Param Bir Singh, an IPS officer who was transferred as Mumbai police commissioner during the investigation into the security threat case against billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has accused the NCP leader of corruption.
Also Read: Sharad Pawar Rules Out Anil Deshmukh’s Resignation Amid Ruckus Over Ex-Top Cop’s Letter
Deshmukh gave Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, who was arrested in the Ambani bomb scare case, a target to extort Rs 100 crore from various Mumbai establishments, according to Parambir Singh in a letter to chief minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray. Singh has appealed to The Supreme court to stop his transfer and have the CBI investigate Deshmukh. The petition will be heard today in court. Meanwhile, the minister has dismissed all of the allegations against him.
The NCP, which is part of MVA, has also backed the minister, stating that he will not resign. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who is credited with bringing the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress together in a three-party alliance, acted as chief crisis manager, holding a press conference and various meetings with party leaders to discuss the issue. Deshmukh was recovering from Covid-19, he told reporters on Monday, during which time Param Bir Singh alleged he was engaging in “extortion activities” through police officers.
Fadnavis, on the other hand, took a jibe at Maharashtra’s senior politician over his claim. According to Devendra Fadnavis, the Ex-CM of Maharashtra, “Deshmukh was in house quarantine from February 15 to February 27, but he was not isolated. Pawar Sahab, I believe, was not properly briefed yesterday.”
The BJP Leader, Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) government in the state ignored an audio intercept report from the state intelligence department detailing “large-scale corruption” in police transfers and postings, and that he would request a CBI investigation.
On Tuesday, the BJP leader met with the Union home secretary in Delhi and presented all of the evidence. After the meeting, Fadnavis said while talking to reporters, “The Union home secretary told me that they would check the papers and evidence submitted and send a report to the Central government, which will take appropriate action,”
However, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claims that the documents Fadnavis handed over to the home secretary are unimportant. Mr. Raut further added, “It will not put the government in jeopardy.”
Meanwhile, amid calls for his resignation, Deshmukh met Thackeray on Tuesday at the latter’s Mumbai home, ‘Varsha.’ The Maharashtra Cabinet is expected to discuss the issue at its meeting on Wednesday in Mumbai.
