BJP to ask Governor to send report to president on Maharashtra happenings

Mumbai, Mar 22: The BJP will meet Maharashtra governor BS Koshyari on Wednesday and urge him to send a "factual" report on the current situation in the state to President Ram Nath Kovind, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Monday, days after ex-Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh accused Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of supporting corruption.

Speaking to media persons here, Mungantiwar sought to draw parallels between the imposition of President's rule in Maharashtra in 1980, when then Progressive Democratic Front government led by Sharad Pawar was dismissed.

The BJP leader said he was not demanding imposition of President's rule in the state now despite "similarities with the 1980 situation". Mungantiwar said the allegations levelled by Singh are "serious" and must not be taken lightly.

In his eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Singh on Saturday claimed Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had asked police officers to collect Rs 100 crore monthly from bars and hotels.

Deshmukh had dismissed the allegations as baseless. "Governor is the constitutional head of the state. The Constitution talks about governor conveying true information to President if the state government is not acting as per the Constitution. We are going to meet the Governor on the day after tomorrow. We are going to demand that he send a report to President on the incidents in the state," Mungantiwar said.

He also referred to the imposition of President's rule in Maharashtra in 1980. "A report was sent in 1980 when Sharad Pawar was chief minister. Such a situation is prevailing today in the state. (then prime minister) Indira Gandhi took a decision on the report on September 17, 1980. Similar situation is prevailing in Maharashtra now. This must be compared," the former minister said.

He said the governor should immediately seek a report from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and state's chief secretary and send it to President. "As the Constitutional head of state, the governor needs to check the veracity of (Singh's) allegations," he added.

When asked if the current situation in Maharashtra is fit for bringing it under President's rule, Mungantiwar said, "I have no legal study in this connection. But I saw the reasons as to why President's rule was imposed in the state on September 17, 1980."

"I am not demanding President's rule despite seeing similarities (between September 1980 and 2021). The governor should send a fact-based report to President and also seek reports from the chief minister and the chief secretary," he added.

He also urged officials to raise complaints before the governor if any minister is asking them to do "wrong works or is pressurising" them to engage in corruption. Such officials should share audio clips or written proofs in this connection, he added.