NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Sunday that allegations against Deshmukh are serious. "It is the prerogative of the CM Uddhav Thackeray to take appropriate action into the allegations," Pawar said at a press conference on the issue, adding, "There has to be in depth inquiry by such an officer who enjoy full respect in police administration. "He then suggested the name of celebrated police officer Julio Ribeiro to carry out the probe. The NCP chief further said that reinstating Vaze, who has now been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Antilia bomb scare, was the decision of Param Bir Singh and that not of CM or the home minister."
Reinstating Vaze after 16 years and giving him an important posting were decisions taken by ex-commissioner of police in Mumbai. And the allegations have been levelled by Singh after his removal from the post," Pawar said. The entire issue has case serious strain among the partners of the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance - Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress. While Deshmukh has accused Singh and the Mumbai Polie of “serious and unpardonable mistakes”, the Sena has come in support of Vaze. Also, in an editorial in Saamana, the party said that Singh showed commitment towards the fight against Covid-19, visited Dharavi, which was a hotbed of infections last year. It added that the TRP scam, in which Vaze had been part of the team that arrested certain accused, was brought to light under his tenure. he Congress, meanwhile, said that there is conspiracy behind the allegations against home minister Anil Deshmukh. "Attempts are being made to pull down non-BJP governments in the country. This is part of the same," party spokesman Sachin Sawant said on Sunday. But Pawar said there is no threat to the MVA government. "I don't know whether efforts are being made or not to topple the government (Maharashtra). All I can say is they will have no impact on the government."