Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made explosive allegations against the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, accusing it of orchestrating a conspiracy to imprison him and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders through fabricated cases. Fadnavis claims that during the tenure of the MVA coalition, a ‘contract’ was given to certain officials to frame BJP leaders, including himself.
Addressing reporters on Saturday, Fadnavis stated, “During the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) government, a conspiracy was hatched to arrest me by making false cases. But we were successful in exposing all these conspiracies at that time. We also gave video proof of this to the CBI. Even today we have many video proofs of this.” His remarks come in response to a query about former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s allegations against former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who Singh claims pressured him to file false cases against BJP leaders.
Fadnavis further alleged that the MVA government had specifically instructed some officers to imprison BJP leaders like himself, Girish Mahajan, and Praveen Darekar. “Some officers were given the contract to put many of our leaders like me, Girish Mahajan, and Praveen Darekar in jail. Some officers even took it, but they could not do it because at that time many officers refused to make such cases,” he added.
This controversy is set against a backdrop of ongoing disputes between key political figures. Fadnavis’s statements are also a response to allegations made by Deshmukh, who recently claimed that a person close to Fadnavis, identified as Samit Kadam, attempted to coerce him into signing false affidavits accusing former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray of wrongdoing.
Deshmukh’s allegations have intensified the political friction, with Deshmukh claiming that he was pressured to resign as Home Minister in 2021 following accusations from Singh that he had been involved in corruption and extortion activities. Deshmukh also alleged that Fadnavis attempted to protect Singh from arrest by encouraging him to make allegations against Deshmukh to destabilize the MVA government.
Fadnavis’s accusations and Deshmukh’s counterclaims highlight the continuing volatility and tension within Maharashtra’s political landscape, with both sides trading serious allegations as they seek to assert their respective positions. The ongoing disputes underscore the complex and contentious nature of political rivalries in the state, particularly in the wake of high-profile corruption investigations and legal battles.
