Maharashtra : Deshmukh meets CM Thackeray amidst political tension

Mumbai : Anil Deshmukh, State Home Minister met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for the first time after being accused by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. Param Bir Singh accused him of asking police officials to collect Rs 100 crore every month on his behalf.

This meeting was held at the chief minister’s official residence. The hour-long meeting comes a day before the state cabinet meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday. The entire cabinet is set to meet for the first time since the controversy surfaced.

Deshmukh did not divulge details of the meeting with the CM. Three days into the Singh’s allegations, Thackeray is yet to make a public statement on the issue.

State Congress leaders also held a meeting to discuss the events precipitated by Singh’s letter. Tuesday’s meeting comes in the backdrop of a meeting held by Congress leader H K Patil on Monday, where he called for a report on the current situation in the state. After Patil’s meeting, senior leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan, who are ministers in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, met Thackeray on Monday.

The state Congress leaders, during Tuesday’s meetings, discussed the impact of the allegations on the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance and also held a discussion on pruning out bureaucrats holding allegiance to the previous BJP-led government. The meeting is said to have discussed the matter of recommending a crackdown on such officers.