Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh meets Uddhav Thackeray
- Deshmukh has said that he was 'extremely disturbed' by the campaign of slander against him and wanted to set the record straight about his hospitalization last month
Amid calls for his resignation in light of ex-Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh's corruption allegations against him, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence 'Varsha' in Mumbai.
Maharashtra Cabinet is scheduled to hold a meeting today in Mumbai and is likely to discuss the ongoing issues related to the police department, Singh's challenge to his transfer to the Home Guards department in the Supreme Court, and DG Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC)'s leave after expressing unhappiness over Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Sheth's appointment to his post.
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Normally, the meeting takes place every week, but due to some reasons it was not convened last week. This will be the first Cabinet meeting after the Maharashtra Budget session concluded on March 10. Also, this meeting holds particular importance because it will also be the first meeting after the Sachin Waze episode came to light.
Meanwhile, Deshmukh on Tuesday said he was "extremely disturbed" by the campaign of slander against him and wanted to set the record straight about his hospitalization last month.
"I am extremely disturbed by the slander in various forms of media aimed at maligning my and my department's image," Deshmukh said in a video message.
"I was hospitalized after contracting the COVID-19 and got admitted to a hospital on February 5. I was there till February 15. I was discharged and flew back to Mumbai and remained in home quarantine," he said.
"I conducted some video conferences with officials and party meetings. I started my preparations for the Budget session. Many officials were visiting my official residence for briefing required before the budget session," he said.
Considering how people were being "misled", he found it important "to set the record straight about my health and its chronology," said the home minister.
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On March 20, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis had demanded Deshmukh's resignation over Param Bir Singh's allegations against Deshmukh.
Singh had, on Saturday, written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleging that Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze to collect ₹100 crore every month.
The allegations made by Singh had come a day after Deshmukh had said that Singh was moved out as Mumbai Police Commissioner so that cases pertaining to Waze were probed without obstruction.
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