Maharashtra leaders warn of action against officers for 'helping' BJP against MVA

Their warning comes in the wake of allegations that a senior IPS officer had illegally tapped calls of several politicians who were against the BJP, while the opposition party said that the phone tapping was done after due permission, and claimed that it revealed a "transfer scam"

Senior leaders of the ruling NCP and Congress in Maharashtra on Thursday warned of strict action against some IPS and IAS officers, who allegedly secretly helped the BJP-led Centre against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

Their warning comes in the wake of allegations that a senior IPS officer had illegally tapped calls of several politicians who were against the BJP, while the opposition party said that the phone tapping was done after due permission, and claimed that it revealed a "transfer scam".

Speaking to reporters, state Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said, "No officer will be spared if found guilty. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has also asked the chief secretary to prepare a detailed report on whether some officials have erred or not. If they are found involved, they will face action."

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad had on Wednesday alleged that the then Commissioner of Intelligence Rashmi Shukla had intercepted calls without permission from then Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sitaram Kunte.

Permission was sought for intercepting the calls of certain persons, but actually the calls of some other persons were tapped, he had claimed.

BJP leader Devendra Fandavis had alleged that the MVA government had suppressed Rashmi Shukla's report, which said that as per the intercepted phone calls, some police officials and politicians were allegedly involved in a transfer scam in the state home department.

Pawar said, "Phone calls are generally tapped only for preventing some serious action. It is done with the permission of additional chief secretary of home department. Current chief secretary of Maharashtra Sitaram Kunte was ACS (home) then. He is known as a very straightforward officer. The CM has asked Kunte to prepare a detailed report on the allegations levelled by Fadnavis."

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, while addressing a press conference on Thursday, alleged that there are some IAS and IPS officers in the Maharashtra cadre, who have been secretly helping the BJP-led Union government and all of them will face action as they have breached the oath of secrecy.

"We have come to know that there are some IAS and IPS officers who have been secretly helping the BJP-led Centre against the MVA government. They have breached the oath of secrecy, and hence they will face action," he said.

Reacting to Fadnavis's allegation, Patole said, "He is clearly misleading the people and maligning the image of the state at the national level..."

The BJP has been targeting the Maharashtra government ever since it lost power, he alleged.

When asked whether the MVA government is shielding home minister Anil Deshmukh in the wake of former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh's allegation of corruption against him, Patole said, "We are setting up an inquiry into the charges levelled by Singh in the letter. When Fadnavis was the chief minister, he used to give clean chit to his minister on his own."

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