Mumbai: Anil Deshmukh, the former Home Minister in the Mahavikas Aghadi government, who faced accusations of extorting 100 Crores every month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai, addressed the media today, disclosing several concealed pieces of information. The Uddhav government had established the Chandiwal Commission to investigate the claims, with Deshmukh emphasizing the need for the report's public release, stating that it was deliberately withheld during the recent budget session to prevent embarrassment of the government.
Deshmukh implicated the former Mumbai Police Commissioner, Paramvir Singh, in the incident involving gelatin sticks placed outside Mukesh Ambani's residence. He claimed that API Sachin Waje, currently in custody, carried out these actions at the behest of Paramveer Singh.
Additionally, Deshmukh revealed that when Paramveer Singh dropped the 100 crore extortion letter bomb, a senior BJP leader from Vidarbha attempted to coerce him into signing an affidavit which, according to him, would have led to the downfall of the Mahavikas Aghadi government. Deshmukh said that he had informed Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray about this.
Assuring future revelations about the contents of the contested affidavit, Deshmukh mentioned that the first raid by the Central Investigation Agency occurred the day after he refused to sign it. When questioned by reporters for details, Deshmukh explained that the affidavit included statements making accusations against his superiors while he was serving as Home Minister.
Deshmukh also criticized Paramvir Singh for not appearing before the Chandiwal Commission despite repeated summons, claiming that Singh submitted an affidavit denying any allegations, attributing the accusations to hearsay.
Moreover, Deshmukh alleged the misuse of central systems in all the states, including Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Delhi. He asserted that the central government's objective is to suppress political opponents.