Responding to claims by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, Maharashtra Home Minister l Deshmukh on Monday clarified that he was admitted to hospital during mid-February and could not have met arrested police officer Sachin Waze. The BJP also shared a video showing Deshmukh holding a press conference on February 15.
Taking to Twitter, Deshmukh said, "A few journalists were waiting for me at the hospital gate after I got discharged on February 15. I was feeling low and weak so I sat on the chair there and responded to their questions. Then I went straight to my car and went home."
He further added, "I was in home quarantine from February 15 to 27. I stepped out of my house for the first time on February 28."
Nationalist Congress Party's chief Sharad Pawar had also today claimed Anil Deshmukh was admitted to hospital due to Covid-19 during the period in which former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh claimed the Home Minister met Waze, who has been arrested by the NIA in the Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case.
On the contrary, BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted, "It seems Sharad Pawar is not briefed properly on Parambir Singh's letter. In the letter only, the SMS evidence shows that the meeting date was mentioned as the end of February. Now, who is diverting issue?
The BJP leader further said, "Sharad Pawar said that from February 15 to 27 Deshmukh was in home-quarantine. But actually along with security guards and media he was seen taking press conference!"
Param Bir Singh on Saturday wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray claiming Home Minister Anil Deshmukh's involvement in severe "malpractices".
In his letter, Singh said that he has been "made a scapegoat to divert attention from the actual wrongdoers".
However, Deshmukh had denied these allegations and threatened to file a defamation suit against Param Bir Singh.
( With inputs from ANI )
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