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Row over Maha minister rocks Parliament
Protests erupted in Parliament on Monday over the allegations of corruption by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, with Union minister Anurag Thakur demanding appropriate action against the state minister
Protests erupted in Parliament on Monday over the allegations of corruption by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, with Union minister Anurag Thakur demanding appropriate action against the state minister.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned amid protests and the Lok Sabha also saw sharp exchanges between Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and Shiv Sena MPs. In the Lower House, BJP MP Manoj Kotak demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the matter.
Speaking during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Thakur said that the allegation that Deshmukh wanted police officers to collect ₹100 crore per month was a “matter of concern”.
“The MPs not only from Maharashtra, but from all over India are concerned about the serious allegation of corruption (against Anil Deshmukh ) in Maharashtra... The state government should take appropriate action on the issue,” he said before many ruling party MPs raked up the issue during Zero Hour.
Last week, former Mumbai Police commissioner Singh said that Deshmukh wanted police officers to collect ₹100 crore monthly from bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai.
In the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Rakesh Sinha emphasised that the allegations were raised by a former top cop and said: “The House wants to know why an API of Mumbai police was given a target of ₹100 crore? Perhaps this is the first such event in the country.”
Sena MP Vinayak Raut alleged that the developments are a part of a larger conspiracy and the BJP is trying to topple the Maharashtra government. Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu termed the developments as a serious matter but questioned why principals of federalism were broken in all Opposition-ruled states, and central agencies were interfering.
“The officers are always the main culprits. But they get away while we politicians fight against each other,” Bittu said. “We can fight against each other in assemblies, newspapers or Parliament. But any officers who are guilty should not get away.”
