Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said the allegations made by suspended police officer Sachin Vaze against him in a letter were completely false and he had neither met the cop nor spoken to him ever.
Pawar called for an inquiry into the allegations to make things crystal clear.
His remarks come a day after Vaze claimed in his letter that he was approached by one Darshan Ghodawat, who introduced himself as a "very close circle person" of junior Pawar and insisted him (Vaze) to collect a monthly amount of Rs 100 crore from illegal gutka sellers.
"I laughed when I saw my name in the letter. I never met him (Vaze), nor I have spoken to him ever. Everyone knows my strict working style...So conduct an inquiry," Pawar told reporters.
"Let there be an inquiry and there will be 'doodh ka dhoodh, pani ka pani' (things will become crystal clear)," he said, adding that the allegations made in the letter were completely false.
He was speaking on the sidelines of campaigning for the upcoming by-poll for the Pandharpur-Mangalvedha assembly constituency.
Vaze, who was reinstated in the police force last year, made the sensational claim in a letter which he tried to submit before a special NIA court in Mumbai on Wednesday.
However, special judge PR Sitre refused to take his letter on record.
Vaze, an accused in the case of an explosives-laden car found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in south Mumbai and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran, is currently in the National Investigation Agency's custody.
Pawar added that any attempt to destabilise the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was on.
"For the last three days, it has been going on that another wicket will fall (another minister will resign). I do not understand how these people can know such things in advance," he said.
When asked about the blame game that is going on between the Centre and the state over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Pawar said the state is not getting enough vaccines.
"In haste, the Centre sent vaccines to other countries...I can understand that the neighbourly relations need to be maintained with other countries, but at the same time, the Centre should fulfil the states' requirement," he said.
