Maharashtra Letter Row: Anil Deshmukh is not an accidental home minister, says Nawab Malik

There should have been strictness in handling the Department (police) as some officers were acting as per their own will, he further said.

The editorial of Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana pointed out that an atmosphere was being created for Deshmukh to step down from his ministerial post and destabilise the MVA government. It also slammed Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for allegedly aiding the Opposition’s efforts to topple the government in the state.

“The Maharashtra government’s character has been questioned many times due to what happened in the last few months. Mumbai former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh alleged Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had given a target of extorting Rs 100 crores to Waze (Assistant police inspector arrested in the Antilia bomb scare case). No one from the government initially came forward to face those charges,” read the editorial.

“Once again, it appeared that the government has no plans for ‘damage control’,” it added.
Further hitting out at the Opposition, the editorial alleged that the Opposition is in a hurry to topple the Thackeray government, so they are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

“Singh is an aspiring officer. He could not bear his transfer to the post of Home Guard General Manager. The former Commissioner made mistakes, so he had to go,” Saamna said.

The editorial also slammed Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for allegedly aiding the Opposition’s efforts to topple the government in the state. It said that the Governor was hoping that the government would collapse after the Antilia and Parambir Singh letter episodes.

“Several leaders of the BJP have been meeting the Governor demanding the government’s dismissal, it is tarnishing the reputation of the Raj Bhavan,” read the editorial.

The editorial alleged that the Governor has been waiting for this government to collapse for the last six months to prevent the nominations of the 12 MLAs whose list the state government has already sent to him.

Furthermore, Shiv Sena mouthpiece said Deshmukh accidentally got the post of the home minister as Jayant Patil and Dilip Walse Patil had refused to accept the post.

“Sharad Pawar handed over this post to Deshmukh. This post has dignity and status. Raosaheb Ramrao Patil’s work as the home minister is appreciated even today. No person sitting on the post of Home Minister of the state can work by being surrounded by a suspect,” read the editorial.