The Maha Vikas Aghadi partners Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress on Monday met and decided not to yield to BJP’s pressure demanding Home Minister Anil Deshmukh’s resignation. They instead decided to retaliate against BJP's attempt to topple the government and foil its efforts to destabilize it. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
However, the alliance partners did not arrive at a decision to institute an inquiry into the corruption allegations made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
The meeting took place hours after NCP Chief Sharad Pawar made it amply clear that there was no need for Deshmukh’s resignation as the corruption charges levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was an afterthought.
Veteran Congress leader and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said how a probe can be ordered based on just one letter. ‘’BJP is in opposition and restless for not being in power. It has been BJP’s attempt to target the Maha Vikas Aghadi government every now and then. This is just with a sole objective of coming to power,’’ he claimed.
Thorat also countered the BJP for raising questions over the law-and-order situation in the state. ‘’When Devendra Fadnavis was Chief Minister there were several issues relating to the law and order. Singh may have written a letter under duress and there was no need to reply. One thing is clear a conspiracy has been hatched against the state government,’’ he noted.
Shiv Sena minister said three partners were unanimous that they should put up a united front to checkmate BJP.
Earlier, Congress in charge of Maharashtra HK Patil discussed with Thorat and Public Work Minister Ashok Chavan the charges made by Singh against Deshmukh. Thereafter, Thorat and Chavan met Thackeray and submitted the Congress party’s views on the present controversy. Patil will submit his report to the party high command on Deshmukh episode.
