MVA govt conspiring against BJP leaders, says Fadnavis

In an hour-long speech during a discussion on the law and order situation in the state, Fadnavis read out transcripts of the tapes in which certain individuals, purportedly Special Public Prosecutor Pravin Chavan, police officials and leaders of the MVA alliance, could be heard hatching conspiracies to frame BJP leaders.

Fadnavis also handed over the video recordings, which he claimed ran into 125 hours, to Zirwal. “The worst thing to happen in a democracy is when governments start hatching conspiracies. When this happens, democracy has no meaning,” he said.

He further claimed that an attempt was made to frame BJP MLA Girish Mahajan in the 2018 case related to the Maratha Shikshan Prasarak Mandal where he was booked for alleged extortion and criminal intimidation. Fadnavis said the current government conspired to invoke MCOCA against Mahajan. “This government has set up a butchery where it conspires on how it can slaughter Opposition leaders.The main protagonist of this conspiracy is Special Public Prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan…This man’s office has become the hub for framing conspiracies against Opposition leaders,” Fadanvis said.

He added that the video evidence that he has submitted shows Chavan plotting ways to frame Girish Mahajan.“From planting a knife to applying blood to the neck…to how to conduct a raid on Girish Mahajan and how to plant evidence and ensure that MCOCA is planted… this entire conspiracy is being hatched by Chavan. Subsequently, even police and some ministers were a part of this conspiracy,” Fadnavis said, alleging that even the FIR against Mahajan was written by Chavan.

He said the video footage showed public prosecutor Chavan claiming about meetings held at the highest level from the Chief Minister to state DGP to the police commissioner to frame Mahajan under MCOCA and arrest him.

The lawyer is also seen claiming that NCP chief Sharad Pawar wants to finish Fadnavis and other BJP leaders (politically) and Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey was given the task, Fadnavis said. As per Fadnavis, Chavan and others in the tape are also heard discussing various ministers of the MVA and their financial dealings. Fadnavis said that apart from Mahajan, there was an attempt to frame him, state BJP president Chandrakant Patil and BJP leaders Jaykumar Rawal, Subhash Deshmukh and Sudhir Mungantiwar in false cases.

He further sought a CBI probe into the incident. “Many portions in these videos are such that I can’t speak, as they tarnish the image of the august House,” he said.

After Fadnavis’s allegations in the Assembly, The Indian Express tried to contact advocate Pravin Chavan and Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta but neither took the calls. Later in the evening, speaking to a TV channel, Chavan said, “I have no links with the government nor any of my family member is in politics. I have not seen the video till now and the authenticity of these images can only be verified by the forensic department. There is a possibility that in the cases wherein I have been a prosecutor and the accused, who have not been able to secure bail, may feel that removing the lawyer out of the equation would help them.”