“The CBI needs the permission of the state governments (to investigate a case), but this is not happening in Maharashtra. CBI is being misused by the central government here.”
After NCP president Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that he had insisted that Uddhav Thackeray become the chief minister of Maharashtra after the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) two years ago, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis claimed that Thackeray had fulfilled the ambitions of becoming the CM. Nurtured secretly, but kept talking about setting up “Shiv Sainiks” at the post.
Speaking to reporters in Pimpri Chinchwad town of Pune district, Pawar reiterated his allegations that the Center was misusing various agencies to destabilize the tripartite government of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress in Maharashtra.
He said the BJP is silent on the issue of rising fuel prices and accused the saffron party of not reducing the rates of petrol and diesel despite the fall in international crude oil prices. “Thackeray was elected by leaders of three parties (in the MVA). The MVA was formed with the contributions of many people including me.
When we had a meeting to discuss the MVA formation and the leadership of the alliance, I forced him (Uddhav Thackeray) to become the chief minister. I have seen these people since childhood. There may be political differences between (Shiv Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray and I but we were close.
“I thought why not the son of the person who contributed for Maharashtra become the CM and I pushed Uddhav Thackeray to become the CM. Fadnavis worked with Uddhav, so he knows how Uddhav is. He should stop repeatedly questioning how Uddhav has become CM,” the NCP chief said.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis had alleged that the MVA government was dishonestly formed.
“I think respected Uddhavji should now accept that he had an ambition to become the chief minister, which he fulfilled. In politics, it is not wrong to have ambition. But if you want to make your point, you can go for senior Shiv Sena leaders. Diwakar could have made Rawate, Subhash Desai or Eknath Shinde a CM,” Fadnavis said.
In the past, Thackeray had said several times that he had promised his late father Bal Thackeray to install a ‘Shiv Sainik’ (party worker) as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
“If you really didn’t want to be the CM, why did Narayan Rane have to leave Shiv Sena? Rane didn’t want to be the party chief. Also, why did Raj Thackeray leave Shiv Sena? It’s okay if you have ambitions to become the chief minister, But now please stop blaming us, the BJP leader had said.
Pawar said that Fadnavis is making these allegations because he could not become the Chief Minister for the second time.
Fadnavis had to resign 80 hours after taking oath as the CM for the second time along with NCP’s Ajit Pawar, with whom he took oath in November 2019.
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Pawar said that the MVA government will run for a full five years and the constituents will be re-elected (in the 2024 election). Meanwhile, he said people are facing difficulties due to rising fuel prices.
But the central government is not worried about inflation. About six months ago, international crude oil prices had come down, although the Center did not cut the rates of petrol and diesel.
The former Union Minister said that when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, we were planning to increase the fuel rate due to the increase in the international rate (crude oil).
“Though the BJP, which was in opposition at that time, strongly opposed the move, but now they are increasing fuel prices every day,” he alleged.
Pawar reiterated that the Center is misusing central agencies in Maharashtra.
“The CBI needs the permission of the state governments (to investigate a case), but this is not happening in Maharashtra. CBI is being misused by the central government here.”
Pawar also attacked former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh without naming him in the Anil Deshmukh case.
“Extortion charges were leveled against (then Maharashtra Home Minister) Anil Deshmukh by the then Mumbai Police Commissioner. When the Mumbai Police Commissioner was asked whether the police had implemented Deshmukh’s alleged instructions to collect the money, he refused.
“However, taking responsibility before the charges were proved, Deshmukh resigned from the post but the complainant is still missing since that day. It is the responsibility of the central government to trace the missing person who is a commissioner level officer. But Nothing is being done, done by the central government.
This is a process to destabilize the state government. He also referred to the ED probe related to the trust of Shiv Sena MP Bhawna Gawli.
Attacking the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Pawar said some of the witnesses used by the agency are criminals.
He cited the case of NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik’s son-in-law.
“Since Nawab Malik, who is the spokesperson of NCP, cannot be directly attacked, his son-in-law was targeted by the Center with the help of the agency (NCB). His son-in-law was arrested and imprisoned for possessing ganja. But fortunately his bail was granted a few days back. The court highlighted that he did not have hemp, but it was some kind of plant.
This is another example of abuse of power and investigative machinery”, Pawar said.
Without naming Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, Pawar claimed that the NCB caught anyone and alleged that a banned substance was found in their possession.
“Those involved in the crimes have been made panch (witnesses). In the case of Malik’s son-in-law, the witness has a criminal record. In a recent raid (on a cruise ship in Mumbai) a Gosavi, who was an NCB’s Witness, a criminal is found on record,” he claimed.
Pawar said that when a constituent party under the MVA speaks on the action taken by the NCB or other agencies, BJP leaders jumped to defend these agencies.
“When there are allegations against agencies like NCB, ideally its officer or spokesperson should come forward to present their case. However, it has been found that former CM Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders are coming forward to defend him,” he alleged.
He defended Thackeray against allegations that he was working from home and not stepping out to solve people’s issues.
“After the MVA came to power, Maharashtra faced many problems due to heavy rains and other calamities. But Thackeray and his team worked hard. He worked hard even during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is alleged that Uddhav was not leaving the office but in such calamities or problems there must be someone who is coordinating everything. I think Fadnavis’s comments and other reactions are arising out of his desperation of not becoming CM again,” Pawar said.
Speaking on the recent Income Tax raids on premises and firms allegedly linked to relatives of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Pawar’s senior should be undermining him.
“Being a middle-class family, the houses of Ajit Pawar’s sisters are not very big. But the IT officials stayed there for a long time. I came to know that the IT people completed the inquiry in two days, but when they asked someone When called they were asked to stay in homes for longer days and deliberately continued investigation for a long time.
Responding to a question on allegations that former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya claimed to have recovered Rs 184 crore in IT action (alleged unaccounted income), Pawar said that the Income Tax Department “has carried out a lot of raids on properties of Ajit Pawar’s sisters”. Found insignificant.
“Rs 184 crore is being claimed to be recovered from various raids conducted in over 70 premises of different people. According to the statement of the IT department on social media and information I have received, out of Rs 184 crore, Rs 180 crore pertains to two realty-related matters while the remaining Rs 4 crore pertains to several of these more than 70 premises. I know what has been found in the premises of Ajit Pawar’s sisters, but I do not want to divulge. It is very negligible,” he claimed.
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