Maha: Cong ministers discuss Deshmukh controversy with AICC secretary

Congress ministers in the MVA government on Friday discussed the allegations of corruption against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in a meeting with AICC in-charge for the state H K Patil, sources said.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's repeated remarks that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar should take over as UPA chairperson also came up during the discussion, sources added.

The meeting in Mumbai with Patil, an All India Congress Committee secretary, was held for discussing the political situation in the state, sources said.

"They talked about how the state government's image is being tarnished due to the allegations of corruption against NCP leader Deshmukh and how our party is getting maligned unnecessarily," said a Congress leader.

Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh alleged last month that Deshmukh had asked police officials to collect Rs 100 crore a month from bars and hotels, an allegations the latter denied.

"The view in the meeting was that the NCP should have handled the Deshmukh issue in a better way," the leader added.

Congress ministers also complained about Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut repeatedly stating that Pawar be made UPA chairperson by replacing Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The issue of development funds for constituencies of Congress ministers not being disbursed in time also came up, sources said.

The Congress has 12 ministers in the Shiv Sena-led coalition government.