Antilia bomb scare: No question of Maha home minister being replaced, says NCP

Speculation is rife that home minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Deshmukh may be shunted out against the backdrop of the recovery of an SUV with explosives outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house here and the arrest by the NIA of police officer Sachin Waze in the case.

State NCP chief Jayant Patil on Monday ruled out the possibility of Maharashtra home minister and party leader Anil Deshmukh losing his job.

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh. (HT Photo)

Speculation is rife that Deshmukh may be shunted out against the backdrop of the recovery of an SUV with explosives outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house here and the arrest by the NIA of police officer Sachin Waze in the case.

Patil was talking to reporters after a meeting of NCP ministers in the MVA government with party chief Sharad Pawar. Pawar met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray earlier in the day.

"There is no question of home minister Anil Deshmukh being replaced. There is no cabinet reshuffle happening," Patil said.

Action would be taken against those found guilty in the case of the recovery of SUV as well as the mysterious death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran, he said.

While the NIA is probing the SUV case, the state ATS is probing the death of Hiran, who had claimed that the vehicle had been stolen from his possession.

The Sachin Waze case was not discussed in the meeting with Pawar, said Patil, the state Water Resources Minister.

Ruling allies Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress were of the view that whosoever is guilty in the two cases should not be spared, he said.

"The government doesn't intend to save anyone," Patil added.

Elsewhere, state Congress president Nana Patole also told reporters that a cabinet reshuffle was not on cards.