Sharad Pawar to meet Uddhav Thackeray, decision on Anil Deshmukh today

Param Bir Singh with Home Minister Anil Deshmukh

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Sunday that he would meet CM Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, to decide on Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. Stepping up his allegations against the ruling MVA, Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday that the CM had been given a report on corruption in the transfer of police officers, but ignored the findings.

Sharad Pawar, NCP chief

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar said on Sunday that he would meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, to decide on Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who has been accused of malpractices by the city's former chief of police, Param Bir Singh. While saying the charges against Deshmukh were serious, he also questioned the timing and motive of Singh.

"It is the prerogative of CM Uddhav Thackeray to seek the resignation (of a minister) and initiate inquiry. But we will discuss the matter with him before taking any decision, and also hear the minister," Pawar said in New Delhi after meeting NCP leaders. The Opposition has demanded Deshmukh's resignation and the NCP is also under pressure from the ruling partners to act.

Pawar suggested that ex-DGP Julio Ribeiro be asked to conduct the inquiry. "If Ribeiro accepts the request, the truth will come out in an impartial probe. Once the truth is placed before them the people will start believing the government and police," he said, adding that he had spoken to CM Thackeray before addressing the media.

He questioned Singh's motive and timing. "The allegations are serious, but the letter doesn't mention where did those Rs 100-crore go. He wrote the letter after he was transferred. He did not make such wild allegations when he was in the CP's office," said Pawar. He suspected that Singh's letter had a connection to opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis's Delhi visit this week. "The government will remain unaffected despite the attempts to harm it," he said. The former union minister said Singh had told him that he was meted out injustice and there was increasing political interference in his department.

According to Pawar, Singh's allegation in ex-MP Mohan Delkar's suicide was wrong. "The Mumbai police were bound to take note of the incident because it happened in their jurisdiction," he said, adding that Singh had used his powers to reinstatement Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze, who is accused in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case. He said neither the home minister nor the chief minister knew about the reinstatement.

‘ATS will find real culprits'
State NCP president Jayant Patil said there was no question of asking Deshmukh to resign. The statement was made after he, Ajit Pawar and senior NCP leaders had a marathon meeting with Sharad Pawar on Sunday night. "ATS will find the real culprits in the cases. The allegations against Deshmukh are a ploy to divert attention from the incident of planting explosives near Ambani's residence," he said.