CM Uddhav is in no mood to go against Modi government

HM Deshmukh is upset with Thackeray over NIA issue

The Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has taken a decision to handover Bhima – Koregaon probe to National Investigation Agency (NIA). This decision it seems  has widened the distance between CM Thackeray and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

Mumbai: The U-turn of the state government from its own decision of a No to transfer the probe into Bhima-Koregaon clashes to NIA, and its adamancy on Pune Police to continue with the probe, has only widened the fissures between Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his Home Minister, Anil Deshmukh. Now, the government has clarified it has no objection to handover the probe to NIA.

Home Minister Anil Deshmukh while speaking with media on Thursday said that the state has given his consent to handover the Bhima-Koregaon probe to NIA. “I had opposed to to transfer this case to national agency. However, CM Uddhav Thackeray has overruled my decision,” said Deshmukh. He further said that CM has right to overrule decision of the Home Minister.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Union government had in last month transferred the probe in the case from Pune Police to the NIA, a decision which then criticised by the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Kumar told PTI on Thursday that “the state Home department has no objection to the case being entrusted to the NIA”.This decision on one side has widened the differences between CM Thackeray and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), while, on the other hand, it has given a clear indication that Uddhav is not in a mood to take on Modi government.

CM Thackeray has recently taken U-turn from his previous decision about extending support to Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) in the lower house in the parliament moved by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in December last year. Sena had walked out from NDA before forming government in Maharashtra with support of NCP and Congress.

After alleged threat from Congress to walk out from Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, Uddhav led Shiv Sena had later decided to oppose the CAB in Rajya Sabha.

During last two-three months in the government, Uddhav has had to face arm twisting from the Congress on several issues and both Congress and NCP brought him in trouble over several controversial issues.  Uddhav has to compromise either with the Congress or the NCP over portfolio distribution, convincing Vijay Wadettiwar to take charge of Relief and Rehabilitation ministry which was with Sena according to portfolio sharing formula.

It seems as though, Thackeray want to keep his relations with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alive and with the Centre keeping in mind future of Sena and the welfare of state. That might be the reason, Thackeray, instead opposing Modi government, has given his consent to handover Bhima-Koregaon probe to NIA.