Congress supporter and habitual liar Saket Gokhale today filed a complaint with state home minister Dilip Walse Patil against Devendra Fadnavis in connection with the “illegal hoarding” of Remdesivir procured through Bruck Pharma.
Gokhale, who was recently caught peddling lies to defend Maharashtra govt’s harassment of Bruck Pharma director over Remdesivir supply, lodged a complaint with Maharashtra Home Minister as to how Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis or the BJP, as private players, could obtain a crucial drug when its sale is allowed only to the state government.
#RTI activist Saket Gokhale has filed a complaint with #DilipWalsePatil Home Minister of #Maharashtra in connection with the illegal hoarding of #Remdesivir procured through #BruckPharma by former Chief Minister #DevendraFadanvis and #BJP @SaketGokhale pic.twitter.com/s3uqnSnfgZ
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) April 19, 2021
Saket Gokhale lies to defend Maha govt’s harassment of Bruck Pharma director over Remdesivir supply
Earlier yesterday, Gokhale took to Twitter to do what he does best—spreading lied and fear-mongering. In a series of baseless tweets, the RTI activist for hire alleged that the BJP hoarded Rs 4.75 crores worth of Remdesivir in their party office in Maharashtra, without providing any evidence to substantiate his allegations. The Congress supporter also alleged that BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis bypassed the state government for procuring the drug.
The allegations were made after the Mumbai Police on Saturday detained and questioned a director of Daman-based pharma company Bruck Pharmaceuticals over the supply of Remdesivir vials. Maharashtra unit of BJP had ordered Remdesivir from the company to be supplied to people in Maharashtra, but after the company had readied the product for delivery, the police had detained the director accusing them of hoarding the drug. The director was later released when Devendra Fadnavis raised the issue on Saturday night.
The leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis in his media interaction had clearly stated, “Four days ago our leaders Pravin Darekar and Prasad Lal had gone to Daman to Bruck Pharma and requested them to supply the drug to Maharashtra. They obliged but said they did not have the license. Then I spoke to (union minister) Mansukh Mandaviya and got them the license.”
The arrangement was made by the opposition party in Maharashtra after observing an acute shortage of the critical drug used in the treatment of Covid-19 in the state. It is also clear that the Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers had approved the delivery of the drug to Maharashtra, hence it was not a private deal unknown to the government.
Praveen Darekar of the Bhartiya Janta Party who had accompanied Devendra Fadnavis to the police station had informed that the state minister for Food and Drugs Rajendra Shingne was in the know of the plan as the procurement and transportation of the drug required state govt’s permission.
Nevertheless, being truthful is the least concern of Mr Gokhale, who made unsubstantiated claims in his tweets. Gokhale also displayed his poor knowledge of geography when he asked how private individuals could procure Remdesivir stock from Gujarat when the sale is allowed only to the government. To Saket’s dismay, the Bruck plant is in Daman in the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Union Territory, and not in Gujarat as he claimed.
Complaint filed against Saket Gokhale for waging a war on state during pandemic
Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed against Saket Gokhale by the President of BJP Uttar Bhartiya Morcha Sanjay Pandey. In a post on Twitter, Pandey alleged that he had filed a complaint at Oshiwara police station in Mumbai against Saket Gokhale for causing a public nuisance, panic & fear by spreading false information.
Describing Saket as ‘destructive minded’ and ‘habitual liar’, the complaint sought strict action against him for waging a war against the state in the midst of a pandemic.
Lodged complaint against destructive minded,habitual liar @SaketGokhale at Oshiwara police station for causing public nuisance,panic&fear by spreading false information.
— Sanjay Pandey (@BJPSanjayPandey) April 19, 2021
Demanded strict action against him for waging a war against State during pandemic#ArrestSaketGokhale pic.twitter.com/wnQNvCVj48
In his complaint, Pandey alleged that Saket Gokhale had lied through his Twitter account and published fake news about the procurement of Rs 4.75 crores of Remdesivir by the BJP.
“Accused Saket Gokhale in the series of tweets through his verified Twitter account named @SaketGokhale, published, circulated false and frivolous reports stating that Mumbai Police seized Rs 4.75 crores of Remdesivir and the stock was sneakily procured by the BJP and Shri Devendra Fadnavis to be distributed through their party office and thereby playing with the lives of the innocent people,” the complaint said.
The complaint further said, “The accused Saket Gokhale has posted and circulated false and frivolous tweets without verifying the facts at the time when Disaster Management Act has been implemented across the country. The said tweets are absolutely false and frivolous and made with an intention to create fear and alarm in the general public with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of Remdesivir in the state.”