l Deshmukh is not an "accidental home minister" of Maharashtra and if shortcomings have been brought forward in Shiv Sena's mouthpiece 'Saamana', then, it should be taken in a positive manner, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik on Sunday.
"l Deshmukh Ji has been an MLA five times and he held the office of a state minister for 18 years. Pawar Saheb (NCP chief) would have given him the responsibilities after thinking carefully. He is not an accidental home minister," Malik told .
The remarks by Malik came after Shiv Sena editorial said that Deshmukh accidentally got the post of the home minister as Jayant Patil and Dilip Walse Patil had refused to accept the post.
Malik further said, "If shortcomings have been brought forward in an editorial (Saamana), then, it should be taken in a positive manner. I think the Home Minister will work towards overcoming those shortcomings."
"There should have been strictness in handling the Department (police) as some officers were acting as per their own will," the NCP leader said.
The editorial said that Pawar handed over the post of Home Minister to Deshmukh.
"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.
Deshmukh is facing allegations of corruption by former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh.
On March 25, Deshmukh had written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to investigate the corrupt malpractices allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh.
Singh had written a letter to Thackeray alleging that Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month.
( With inputs from ANI )
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