Cong, BJP-Sena put NCP on mat

The arrest of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Padamsinh Patil in connection with the murder of Congressman Pawanraje Nimbalkar rocked the Maharashtra legislature today with the Opposition BJP-Shiv Sena combine demanding resignation of state Home Minister Jayant Patil of the NCP.

Meanwhile in the national capital, Congress leader and Union Heavy Industry Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh used the moment to raise clamour for his pet idea of going solo in the state Assembly elections, to be held in October. The Congress party forms the ruling alliance with the NCP in Maharashtra.

“We cannot have alliance with a party whose leaders are involved in murder of our own men,” Deshmukh told reporters in Delhi. Deshmukh raised the pitch for going solo in the assembly polls after the Congress unexpectedly won 17 of the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats in the recent general elections — double than what the NCP managed to win.

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Ramdas Kadam, wanted question hour to be adjourned and have a discussion on the issue immediately. Ruckus in the house forced an adjournment for 20 minutes.

Launching frontal attack on the current home minister and his predecessor RR Patil, currently the NCP state president, Kadam accused both of using the state police department to shield Padamsingh Patil, who is a relative of NCP president Sharad Pawar.

A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe in the murder had established some leads against Padmasinh Patil and the department had submitted a report to the state government. However, the home ministry buried the report and did not allow the CID even to call Patil for inquiry.

“Had Pawanraje’s widow not approached the High Court and the CBI had not stepped in, the former minister would not have been arrested,” Kadam said, alleging that the Congress-NCP government tried to “hush up” the matter.