Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said a "serious probe" should be conducted into the allegations of extortion against l Deshmukh raised by Maharashtra's former police commissioner and said the letter by the senior police officer to the chief minister of the state shows the levels of corruption in the western state.
"These allegations show the level of corruption in Mumbai and in the entire state of Maharashtra under this Aghadi government," said Thakur.
"It raises a very serious question when a senior cop and former Mumbai Police Commissioner has written a letter to CMO of Maharashtra and alleging the home minister of Maharashtra," he added.
The Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs was in Thiruvananthapuram for campaigning for the Aprils 6 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala.
Thakur claimed that a "serious probe" is needed in the matter.
"I think a serious probe into this and how many instalments have been given since the appointment of the former police chief of Mumbai, how many people are involved in that, was the chief minister aware of this from day one. And what action he has taken so far," said Thakur.
"The CM must come out and speak and tell the country that action he has taken," he added.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Saturday wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that Home Minister l Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked suspended API Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month.
The allegations were made a day after Deshmukh had said that Param Bir Singh was moved out as Mumbai Police Commissioner so that cases pertaining to Waze were probed without obstruction.
In his letter, Param Bir Singh, who has now been posted as Commandant General of Home Guards, said that he has been "made a scapegoat to divert attention from the actual wrongdoers".
On Saturday, Maharashtra home minister l Deshmukh refuted all 'extortion allegations' made by Param Bir Singh in his letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray
Meanwhile, union minister Anurag Thakur also pointed out the rising cases of Covid in Maharashtra.
"They have failed to check COVID cases. The COVID cases are raising, the corruption is also raising, crime is also on the rise and what is the government doing?" Thakur asked.
Maharashtra, reported 13,446, new Covid-19 cases and 13,588 recoveries in the last 24 hours with 92 deaths recorded in this period.
( With inputs from ANI )
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