Maharashtra govt will probe video submitted by Fadnavis, says Pawar

Mumbai: A day after BJP's Devendra Fadnavis created a flutter alleging that the ruling MVA was hatching a conspiracy against its opponents and submitted a video "proof" in the Assembly, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the state government will probe the authenticity of the clips.

Interacting with media persons here, Pawar also said his name was being mentioned "directly or indirectly" in the recordings submitted in connection with the alleged conspiracy and added he was "nowhere" related to it.

Without naming the BJP, Pawar said efforts were being made "to destabilise" the MVA government but insisted that the alliance "cannot be troubled" as it enjoys a clear majority.

He also hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will order a probe into a complaint raised by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut regarding the alleged misuse of Central agencies.

Fadnavis on Tuesday submitted a pen drive containing video recordings to Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, saying the footage showed how conspiracies were hatched by police and members of the MVA to frame BJP leaders, including himself and Girish Mahajan, in false cases. He had demanded a CBI probe.

Pawar said the claim that he wanted to finish Fadnavis and BJP leader Girish Mahajan politically was "laughable".

"So, it seems there is also some comic information in it (the material submitted by Fadnavis). One cannot get finished like this," he said.

"If it is true that the recording (submitted by Fadnavis) is of 125 hours, then the use of a powerful agency cannot be ruled out...and such agencies are only under the Government of India," he said. It is "praiseworthy" that Fadnavis or any of his colleagues succeeded in capturing the nearly 125-hour video footage, Pawar said sarcastically.

"It first needs to be proved whether it (the recording) is authentic or not. The state government will definitely probe that the veracity needs to be confirmed. My name also seems to have been dragged directly or indirectly. There is no reason, I am not related to it," he said.

Pawar said the MVA — comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress — was not misusing power to target its opponents.

"One thing has to be noted though that all the power of the Centre and all its agencies are in the hands of the

people who follow the same ideology as Devendra Fadnavis," he said.