Mumbai: NCP-SP Leader Anil Deshmukh Demands Narco Test On Samit Kadam Amid Allegations

Mumbai: There are indications that more skeletons will shortly tumble out regarding the alleged pressure exerted by the BJP on former home minister and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Anil Deshmukh to sign affidavits against Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, Ajit Pawar and Anil Parab.

Deshmukh, who was in Mumbai after the controversy erupted, reiterated his allegations against BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

Statement Of NCP (SP) Leader Anil Deshmukh

“A person named Samit Kadam, a close associate of Fadnavis, had come to me three years ago and insisted on my signing an affidavit seeking to implicate Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and Parth Pawar, the son of Ajit Pawar, in false cases, to topple the then MVA government.’’

Samit had also offered to release Deshmukh from all ED and CBI cases lodged against him. “It is the policy of the BJP that you either go with them or go to jail,” alleged Deshmukh.

The former home minister, who had to put in his papers in April 2021 following allegations of being set a ‘wasooli’ ‘target’ of Rs 100 crore per month, showed photographs of Samit Kadam and Fadnavis together. Deshmukh also asked why Kadam had ‘Y’ level security when he was not even a corporator.

“Is Kadam such an important person that the government has given him ‘Y’ security? demanded Deshmukh, claiming, “I had never seen Kadam in my life before, until he came to my residence”. “One has to only visit Miraj in Sangli district, anyone there can tell you about the relation between Fadnavis and Kadam. I can understand about Uddhav Thackeray and Ajit Pawar as they were political opponents of Fadnavis, but I was told to implicate Aaditya Thackeray and Parth Pawar. It shows how Fadnavis had tried to drag family members of these leaders in false cases. Had I signed the affidavits, the then CM Uddhav Thackeray would have been in trouble,” Deshmukh said.

The experiment he was subjected too was also tried on Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar and in both instances, it was successful. However, Samit Kadam has refuted Deshmukh’s allegations.

He said, “The photographs shown by Deshmukh are available on my Instagram and Facebook accounts. It doesn’t mean he has made an investigative and sensational revelation.” He also alleged that Deshmukh had gone mad.

"I am the chief of the Jan Surajya party youth wing and we are part of the NDA. We are often called for the meetings of Mahayuti and NDA. I often meet Fadnavis at such meetings. Leaders of all the political parties know me well. I have known Deshmukh since he was the food and civil supplies minister. He may have forgotten but I knew Deshmukh before I had even met Fadnavis,” Kadam claimed.

Demand For Narco Test Raised

The NCP(SCP) has demanded that Kadam be put through narco analysis. Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut has raised questions over the ‘Y’ security provided to Kadam.

Speaking to the media, Mahesh Tapase, the chief spokesperson of NCP (SCP) said the matter was extremely serious and raised questions about the role of Fadnavis in this controversy. “We demand a narco test on Samit Kadam,” he said.

NCP (SP) Seeks Clarification From Govt For Not Disclosing Findings Of Justice Chandiwal Commission

The Sharad Pawar-led party has also sought clarification from the government for not disclosing the findings of the Justice Chandiwal Commission which had probed the allegation of extortion targets set by Anil Deshmukh, levelled by the then Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh.

MP Sanjay Raut, while raising the issue of the security cover for Kadam, said his party would dig out who else had been provided with ‘Y’ security.

“We will certainly dig out details of similar security cover provided to others. This man (Samit Kadam) seems engaged in liaisoning and now people close to the home minister will say that they do not have any connection with Kadam,” Raut said.

BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, meanwhile, claimed the recent allegations by the NCP(SCP) was a well-oiled mechanism to divert people’s attention from the state’s welfare schemes and a bid to spread a fake narrative.