Mumbai: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday alleged that former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray wanted to put him in jail by hook or crook. The BJP leader claimed that now retired IPS officer Sanjay Pandey was appointed as Mumbai commissioner on condition that the officer will ensure his arrest. But despite numerous enquiries, they found nothing incriminating against me, he said.
Sitting Lok Sabha member from the Palghar constituency Rajendra Gavit returned to the BJP in an event held at the party’s state headquarter in Mumbai. Speaking after Mr. Gavit’s induction, the senior BJP leader said, “It is true that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was desperate to arrest me anyhow. They investigated everything about me and tried to find something, but they failed. In fact, a Mumbai commissioner was appointed only on the condition that he will make sure that I will be arrested. We all know what happened to that commissioner later. But despite all their efforts, they could not find a single incriminating thing against me.”
Though Mr. Fadnavis did not take any name, it was obvious that he was referring to Mr. Pandey, who was appointed as the Mumbai police commissioner in February 2022. The 1986-batch IPS officer retired from service on June 30 in the same year — the same Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the post of chief minister in the wake of Eknath Shinde’s revolt against him. A month after his retirement, the Enforcement Directorate arrested him in connection with an alleged money laundering case.
Mr. Fadnavis also lashed out against Congress leader and the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, for raising suspicion over the death of former Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad head Hemant Karkare, who was one of the victims of 26/11 terror attack in 2008. However, Mr. Wadettiwar has claimed that Karkare was killed by a police officer affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and not by Pakistani terrorists. He has also alleged that advocate Ujjwal Nikam, who was the special public prosecutor in the case and is now BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha election, did not disclose the role of the said police officer before the court during the trial.
“Mr. Wadettiwar is speaking Pakistan’s language. The entire country is with Mr. Nikam. But the Congress is with Pakistani terrorist Ajmal,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
