BJP demands imposition of Prez Rule and Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation following Vazegate

Pawar tries to defend Home Minister Anil Deshmukh as DG Home Guards, Param Bir Singh moves SC demanding CBI probe against Deshmukh

@the_news_21

Mumbai: Stepping up its political pressure on the embattled Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government over the Vazegate scandal, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar remarked that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has no moral right to continue in office. “What does it show if his trustworthy personnel plants bombs as alleged by ATS?

Republican Party of India (Athawale faction) leader and Union Minister of State for Social Justice, Ramdas Athawale remarked that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh should tender his resignation on moral grounds. Athawale further stated that he will call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demand dismissal of the MVA government and imposition of President’s Rule.

There were heated exchanges witnessed in the Lok Sabha between BJP and Shiv Sena MPs from Maharashtra. BJP MPs Manoj Kotak and Kapil Patil raised the issue of alleged Rs 100 crore per month extortion and demanded that the Centre constitute an inquiry into the alleged letter bomb of former Mumbai Police Commissioner.

Also Read: Sharad Pawar defends Maharashtra Home Minister

Shiv Sena MPs later staged a noisy walkout from the Lok Sabha. Similar uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha which was adjourned in the afternoon as BJP members raised the issue of allegation of corruption against Maharashtra Home Minister.

Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP leaders is expected to call on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on March 24 over the current situation in Maharashtra. In a statement issued here, senior BJP leader and former Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar demanded that the Governor should immediately send his report on the prevailing situation in Maharashtra to President of India Ram Nath Kovind. The Governor should seek a report from the Chief Minister, ascertain the facts and then send it to the President of India for further action.

Earlier in the day, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar tried to defend his party’s Home Minister Anil Deshmukh refuting the allegations made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. However, his defense of Deshmukh that the latter was ill and in isolation was quickly disputed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

At the same time an embattled Singh has moved the Supreme Court of India seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of corruption against the Home Minister, his transfer as Director General, Home Guards and protection from coercive action from Maharashtra government.

On a day of continuous hectic political activity, the NCP chief termed the allegations of Singh as false. Speaking to newspersons on Monday, Pawar argued that Singh in his letter claimed that his junior officers had informed him that they got instructions from the Home Minister from February 6 to February 15 and after that he (Deshmukh) was in home quarantine from February 15 to February 27.

Arguing that the NCP chief had not been briefed properly by his own partymen from Maharashtra, BJPs leader of opposition in Legislative Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis quickly took to twitter debunking the claims of the NCP chief and released a video of alleged media interaction of Deshmukh in Nagpur soon after coming out of the hospital. Fadnavis in his tweet questioned as to who the person surrounded by security personnel was speaking to the media.

Senior Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut sprang to the defense of Deshmukh arguing that if people started taking resignations of ministers on basis of allegations, it will be difficult to run the government. Commenting upon the demand being made for imposition of President’s Rule in Maharashtra, he further warned “if someone is attempting to get President’s Rule imposed in Maharashtra by misusing central agencies, then I warn them – you yourself will get burnt in that fire”.

Pawar tried to argue that the main issue in the case was the planting of gelatin sticks in the SUV outside the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani and the alleged murder of Mansukh Hiren. He further expressed satisfaction that the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) was going in the right direction.

Meanwhile, state NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik argued that the party will take a call on the issue of the Home Minister’s resignation only after the probe is completed. The Congress which is the junior alliance partner of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) too went into a huddle and decided to meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over Singh’s Letter Bomb. Later, senior Congress Minister for Revenue Balasaheb Thorat too defended Deshmukh arguing that there was no question of seeking resignation of the Home Minister.