Maha Dy CM, Walse Patil, Anil Deshmukh’s son meet Gadkari in Nagpur

Though Pawar refused to speak with the waiting journalists in front of the Gadkari residence, a close aide to the BJP leader, who preferred anonymity, expectedly termed the meeting a “courtesy” call

NAGPUR: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, home minister Dilip Walse Patil and jailed former minister Anil Deshmukh’s son Salil Deshmukh held a closed-door meeting with senior BJP leader and union transport minister Nitin Gadkari for over 40 minutes on Friday evening in Nagpur.

The leaders met for 40 minutes on Friday in Nagpur at Nitin Gadkari’s residence. (ANI file photo)

Though Pawar refused to speak with the waiting journalists in front of the Gadkari residence, a close aide to the BJP leader, who preferred anonymity, expectedly termed the meeting a “courtesy” call.

It is learnt that release of Anil Deshmukh from jail in the wake of justice KU Chandiwal Commission report that let him off due “absence of evidence” came up for discussion during the meeting.

It was said that Salil, who is also a Zilla Parishad member, pleaded, along with Pawar and Walse Patil, was of the view that Deshmukh be released forthwith following the committee’s report.

Earlier, while inaugurating a new building of Nagpur Police Commissionerate, Pawar called on the cops in the state to remain impartial and not succumb to any political pressure.

“While carrying out your responsibility with full dedication, forget that someone belongs to the ruling party, opposition or the party in power in Delhi,” Patil said.

He also added, “Police should feel free to carry out their duty and maintain transparency in their work. Some people tried to convert a non-issue into an issue and create tension, thereby exerting unnecessary pressure on the police force. The police in Maharashtra are competent to handle such issues. At a time when youths were facing an unemployment crisis, some people raked up loudspeaker’s issue which was unjust.”

Pawar accompanied by the Maharashtra home minister Wadse-Patil also visited Maoist-hit Gadchiroli during his one-day Vidarbha tour and felicitated jawans of C-60 Battalion which is engaged in thwarting militants in Gadchiroli District. Lauding the working of C-60, an elite anti-Naxalite squad in Gadchiroli, Pawar said, “The government was quick in increasing their allowance as soon as it came and sanctioned a modern state of art multi-speciality hospital on lines of Military Hospital, in Gadchiroli for the police tackling the Maoist menace.”

Pawar also inaugurated a police station in Katejhari in Gadchiroli district, bordering Chhattisgarh on Friday afternoon.