Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, March 22
Union law and justice minister Ravishankar Prasad on Sunday demanded a CBI probe into the charges levelled by the former police commissioner of Mumbai, Parambir Singh against the Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
The Union Minister questioned the mysterious silence of Chief Minister Udhav Thackery on defending the “rogue” assistant police inspector.
At a hurriedly convened press conference at BJP office here, Ravishankar Prasad, who represents Patna Saheb in Lok Sabha said, “In the whole political career, I have seen for the first time a chief minister is defending a rogue Assistant Police Sub inspector charged with extortion.” What are the secrets? he asked.
Union law minister said that Sachin Waze, who was suspended on orders of the High Court, was reinstated last year. Who influenced the Home department to reinstate him-Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister or Home Minister, Prasad said and regretted that the junior most police officer was patronised by all top political leaders of Maha Aghadi.
Referring to the charges of Parambir Singh that the home minister had assigned Waze a monthly target to collect Rs 100 crore through bars and restaurants, Union law minister said, “Maharashtra is a prosperous state. If Rs 100 crore is the target of extortion in one city by one department, one can imagine the target of other departments for the entire state.”
He also criticised Parambir Singh for his claim that he had briefed NCP leader Sharad Pawar about the extortion racket by Home Minister through Sachin Waze and said, “In what capacity, police commissioner met Sharad Pawar, who is not part of the government” The silence of the of the chief minister is mysterious.
He said the “explosive” letter of the former police commissioner revealed a tip of the iceberg on the on-going official loot by Maha Aghadi government which he called Maha Aghadi loot.
Ravi Shankar said BJP had already started a movement in Maharashtra to seek an outsider of Shiv Sena led government. In Patna too, hundreds of BJP workers took out a procession demanding resignation of the home minister and chief minister of Maharashtra Government.
