The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday claimed that the retired Justice Kailash U Chandiwal Committee set up by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is an eyewash as it has no powers to probe the allegations against State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
Refuting the claim, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), an MVA partner, reminded the BJP of a committee of retired Justice constituted by then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to investigate allegations of irregularities in land dealings worth ₹300 crore in Navi Mumbai. The NCP accused the BJP of involving in doublespeak.
“Constitution of the Justice (retired) Kailash U Chandiwal Committee for probing the allegations against Mr. Deshmukh is just of committee nature and not as a judicial commission. Neither has it been constituted nor has been given the powers under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1952 as was done in case of the Justice Zoting Committee during our tenure,” Mr. Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition, said.
The Zoting committee, Mr. Fadnavis referred to, was set up by the previous BJP-led government to inquire into the allegations of land grab against then Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse. Mr. Khadse had to resign from the State Cabinet. Later, as an MLA of the BJP, he made several demands to make public the Zoting committee report in which he claimed that he had got a clean chit. Ultimately, the differences between Mr. Khadse and Mr. Fadnavis led to the former quitting the BJP and joining the NCP after the MVA came to power.
Mr. Fadnavis said that the BJP was of the opinion that appointing such a committee was merely an eyewash. “It does not solve any purpose, looking at the gravity and severity of the allegations. Now the question is how a retired Justice without power will inquire against a sitting Home Minister,” he said.
The Chandiwal committee is tasked with probing the allegations made by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh against Mr. Deshmukh where he claimed that the Home Minister had allegedly asked suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze to collect ₹100 crore a month from bars and restaurants.
The NCP said the Chandiwal committee was formed on similar lines on which Mr. Fadnavis had set up the Zoting committee. “Bhatija land dealings in Mumbai were probed by a committee formed on similar rules. If that was as per rules, why is Mr. Fadnavis involved in doublespeak now? The Chandiwal committee will submit its report in six months and the truth will come out. Mr. Fadnavis should show patience, but instead he is getting restless,” State Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said.
