Union Minister Ramdas Athawale meets Kovind, seeks President's rule in Maharashtra

MUMBAI: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Thursday met President Ram Nath Kovind and sought President's rule in Maharashtra in the wake of former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh's allegation of corruption against state home minister, and the Sachin Waze episode.

Athawale met the president in New Delhi.

Talking to reporters in the national capital after the meeting, the Minister of State for Social Justice said, "I submitted a memorandum of demand to Kovind and urged him to impose President's rule in Maharashtra. He told me that he would think over my demand."

"One police officer Sachin Waze plants explosives near the residence of businessman (Mukesh Ambani), while state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh allegedly gives the target of collecting Rs 100 crore per month to senior police officers. This is a serious situation in the state," he said.

There should be a probe against Deshmukh as he is under suspicion at this moment, Athawale said.

Param Bir Singh had sent an eight-page letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on March 20, claiming that Deshmukh wanted police officers to collect Rs 100 crore monthly from bars and hotels.

However, the minister has refuted the allegation.

Waze, a Mumbai police officer, has been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the explosives-laden SUV found parked near Ambani's residence in south Mumbai on February 25.

He is also facing heat in the alleged murder of Thane-based businesssman Mansukh Hiran, who was in possession of that SUV.

Hiran was found dead in a creek on March 5.