NCP hits back at BJP; says Fadnavis is 'misleading' people
The Nationalist Congress Party hit back at Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday after the latter alleged inconsistencies in NCP leader and Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh's quarantine claims. The NCP—a constituent of the ruling MVA alliance government—had earlier said that accusations of Deshmukh meeting cops to run an extortion racket were false since the Minister had quarantined himself due to COVID-19.
Citing police records, Fadnavis said Deshmukh broke quarantine
Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition, had claimed Deshmukh visited the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai on February 17 and government offices on February 24, citing a report by former DGP Subodh Jaiswal and phone call records. Fadnavis said NCP chief Sharad Pawar—who defended Deshmukh—was "not briefed properly" when he said on Monday that Deshmukh was quarantining from February 15-27.
IPS officers worked for BJP: NCP's Nawab Malik
Meanwhile, NCP spokesperson and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said on Tuesday that IPS officers Jaiswal and Rashmi Shukla—who also worked on the report—worked for the BJP. Malik said 80% of the police officers said to be transferred in the report were not transferred. The BJP is trying to defame the MVA government after failing to topple it, Malik added. Malik said Fadnavis was "misleading" people.
Shukla illegally tapped phone calls of politicians: Malik
Malik said Shukla illegally tapped phone calls of politicians. He alleged that she had also tapped the phones of all political leaders in Maharashtra during the 2019 political crisis in the state when the MVA had outsmarted the BJP's plans to seize power.
Former top cop had accused Deshmukh of corruption
Deshmukh was first accused of corruption and running an extortion racket with cops by former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh earlier this month. The allegations were made days after Singh was transferred amid a high-profile probe into the Mukesh Ambani bomb threat case. Singh had alleged that he was "scapegoated," and instead accused Deshmukh of instructing cops on how to handle cases.
