Athawale, Ambedkar demand President's Rule in Maharashtra

The BJP ally Republican Party of India (A) on Monday pressed for an imposition of President's Rule in Maharashtra in the wake of an explosive letter by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s corruption charges against the Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. The union minister of social justice Ramdas Athawale in a letter to the union Home Minister Amit Shah has made the demand for the President's Rule. Athawale in a tweet said, “The people of Maharashtra have lost faith in the state government on the issue of law and order. Therefore, the Republican Party of India in a letter has demanded the dismissal of the state government and impose President's Rule in Maharashtra. The letter has been sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office today."

Similarly, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi founder Prakash Ambedkar today met the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and demanded imposition of President’s Rule in the state. He said he made a demand to dissolve the government as the former police commissioner has written an open letter accusing the state Home Minister alleged extortion.

He further alleged that he does not think only one minister is involved in this nexus and demanded that a probe should be launched into whether it is related to a party or cabinet level.

Ambedkar clarified that his demand is to dissolve the government and not the state assembly.

Former chief minister and BJP MP Narayane Rane has also demanded the imposition of President's Rule for the MVA government’s failure in maintaining the law and order and its "inept" handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Earlier, BJP MP from north east Mumbai Manoj Kotak during zero hour in Lok Sabha amid protests by Shiv Sena and NCP, demanded that the Home Minister Anil Deshmukh should resign, the MVA government should resign and there should be a CBI inquiry into the charges levelled by Singh.