Anil Deshmukh Resigns as Maharashtra Home Minister
Home Minister Anil Deshmukh Monday tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray hours after the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to carry out a “preliminary enquiry” into the allegati
When details about Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze’s involvement in the Ambani house bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren’s death came out, there were many accusations of corruption against the Mumbai police and the Maharashtra government. Because of this the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was removed from his post and transferred to the Home Guards. Angry over his removal, Singh wrote an eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had reportedly asked Sachin Vaze and other cops to extort Rs 100 crore per month for him from restaurants, hotels and other establishments in Mumbai. After the letter came out, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar held two press conferences defending Deshmukh, who is a member of his party. Singh then filed a complaint in the Bombay High Court asking them to conduct a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against Deshmukh’s corrupt practices. On 5th April, the Bombay High Court has now directed the CBI to carry out an enquiry into the allegations against Deshmukh. The court also said that this is the first time there have been accusations of corruption against a Home Minister, this is why the court has told them to hurry up and complete the investigation within 15 days after which the CBI director can take further action.
The Maharashtra government is formed with an alliance of Shiv Sena - NCP - Congress. According to sources, The Shiv Sena and Congress felt that the controversy around Deshmukh was spoiling the government's name and causing a lot of embarrassment. This is why they wanted him to resign. But the NCP was stubborn and did want Deshmukh to resign. However, since the HC ordered a CBI probe, the NCP had no choice and Deshmukh had to resign. Soon after he quit, Deshmukh left for New Delhi where he held consultations with lawyers. Deshmukh is expected to file an appeal in the Supreme Court to challenge the HC order of the CBI investigation against him. State Minister of Labour and Excise - Dilip Walse-Patil, is the new Home Minister. Patil is a close confidant of Pawar and has served as his personal assistant.
