Ajit Pawar denies MVA Govt shielding anyone in Antilia security scare

No differences within MVA alliance over the Antilia security scare, asserts Deputy Chief Minister  

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Pune: Even as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for allegedly ‘shielding’ arrested API Sachin Vaze in connection with the security scare outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said that the ruling government did not believe in shielding anyone and neither it would protect any official or politician if they are found responsible in the affair. 

He also dispelled speculation about a possible schism brewing between the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress over the matter and said that the three partners were working very well together. Pawar’s remarks were also endorsed by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, with the latter dismissing any rumours about any problems within the three parties.  

“Right from the start, the Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) has maintained that a thorough investigation must be done in this matter. He, as well as myself, firmly assert that the MVA has no cause to shield anybody in this case nor will it do so. A thorough investigation will be carried out. Even if someone belonging to any political party is found responsible, we will probe them. The law-and-order situation in the State must be good,” Pawar said.  

Contrary to the BJP’s repeated allegations, Pawar said that in Vaze’s case, the State government had immediately handed over the investigation to the Maharashtra ATS even as the budget session of the Legislature was in progress.  

A series of meetings was held in the morning on the issue with the Chief Minister and top leaders of the three parties in which Pawar, along with senior NCP leader Jayant Patil and Sena leader Eknath Shinde was present. State Congress president Nana Patole is also expected to with Thackeray over the matter. 

The ruling government has been facing flak in its handling of the bomb scare case, the probe into the murky death of car dealer Mansukh Hiren and Vaze’s subsequent arrest by the NIA. The BJP has been clamouring for the resignation of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. The arrest has sparked a slanging match between the opposition BJP and the MVA, which the former accusing the Thackeray government of protecting Vaze, while hinting at the latter’s affiliation with the ruling Sena. 

When Sharad Pawar was asked by reports in Delhi regarding the possible sacking of Deshmukh, he wryly remarked: “This is news to me.” In the same vein, Pawar emphasized that there was no difference of opinion between the Sena, Congress and NCP. 

“Let there be no misunderstanding on this. MVA has been formed on the basis of the Common Minimum Program (CMP). Two agencies, the NIA and the ATS are currently probing this case. So, however tangled the threads of this affair may be, the MVA will not compromise on this probe,” remarked Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. 

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant hit out at BJP Leader of Opposition (LoP) Devendra Fadnavis, accusing the latter of not ‘helping’ agencies by keeping vital information pertaining to the case to himself.   

“Fadnavis has openly stated in the Legislative Assembly that he is apparently in possession of the call detail records (CDR) pertaining to the abandoned SUV with gelatine sticks that was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house. Instead of keeping the CDR information with himself, he must hand it over to the investigating agencies. It is illegal to be in possession of the CDR and it is Fadnavis’ duty as a citizen to disclose the source of such an important document to the investigating agencies,” Sawant said.