Why were you silent for 15 days after being ‘exposed’: Deshmukh to Fadnavis

Nagpur: NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Sunday asked Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis what made him level allegations 15 days after being “exposed”.

In its counter, the BJP said Fadnavis speaks with facts and his statements are well-grounded.

Fadnavis has been locked in a war of words with Deshmukh, since the latter accused the BJP leader of trying to exert pressure when he (Deshmukh) was the home minister in the MVA government to frame key politicians, including the then CM Uddhav Thackeray.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) is a constituent of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by Uddhav Thackeray and Congress.

In a post on X on Sunday, Deshmukh said that 15 days back, he had “exposed” how Fadnavis had conspired three years ago to jail ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and the then minister Aaditya Thackeray.

Deshmukh said Fadnavis was targeting him through dismissed and jailed policeman Sachin Waze and former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, who “placed a bomb in a Scorpio vehicle outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house and orchestrated the murder of the Scorpio’s owner”.

The NCP (SP) leader claimed that Waze and Singh were parroting Fadnavis’s lines.

“Singh was to be arrested by central agencies three years ago, but he sought refuge with the BJP and is now making accusations as per your instructions. Why were you silent for 15 days? Did you suddenly remember to accuse me now,” he asked.

Responding to Deshmukh’s attack, BJP state spokesperson Chandan Goswami said Fadnavis speaks with facts and all his statements are well-grounded. “MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) is continuously whipping up false narratives and there is no truth in their words,” he added.

Fadnavis had alleged on Saturday that during the erstwhile MVA government, a “contract” was given to some officials to jail him and other BJP

leaders in false cases. The plan failed as many good officials refused to register false cases, he said. Fadnavis was responding to a query about former Param Bir Singh’s allegation that Deshmukh pressured him to file false cases against certain BJP leaders.

Deshmukh had resigned as home minister in 2021 after Param Bir Singh accused him of setting a target to collect Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.