BJP workers on Sunday staged protests in Nagpur and Pune demanding resignation of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in view of allegations of corruption levelled against him by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
While Mr. Deshmukh is facing flak, NCP activists hit streets in Nagpur against Mr. Singh alleging that he was defaming the State Home Minister.
Days after he was shunted as Mumbai Police Commissioner, Mr. Singh wrote a letter to the CM claiming Mr. Deshmukh, a senior NCP leader from Nagpur district, had asked Mr. Vaze and other police officers to collect ₹100 crore monthly from bars and hotels in Mumbai.
Leading a protest in Pune, State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said there was no moral ground left for the Shiv Sena- led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to remain in power.
In Nagpur, demonstrations were led by former State Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule at Sanvidhan square where slogans were against the State government.
A demonstration was also organised by workers of the BJP Yuva Morcha outside the residence of Mr. Deshmukh in the city.
Meanwhile, NCP's Nagpur unit president Anil Ahirkar said allegations against Mr. Deshmukh were a conspiracy to defame him.
Mr. Deshmukh had dismissed allegations raised by Mr. Singh as baseless and termed them as a bid by the IPS officer to save himself from inquiry.
Mr. Singh was shunted out as Mumbai Police Commissioner in the midst of investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into recovery of an explosives-laden vehicle which was found parked outside the south Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani last month.
The NIA had arrested assistant inspector of Mumbai Police, Sachin Vaze, in the case.
