Mumbai: After Chandrashekhar Bawakule and Girish Mahajan, now it is the turn of former MLA and BJP man Ashish Deshmukh to enter into the controversy over the audiovisuals and pen drive involving former home minister Anil Deshmukh and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Claim Made By Former MLA Ashish Deshmukh
Ashish, who is the nephew of NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, claimed on Friday that the pen drive shown by the former home minister lacks 'substance' and it is 'corrupt'.
Anil Deshmukh was making allegations keeping an eye on Nagpur South West assembly constituency, currently represented by Fadnavis, alleged Ashish Deshmukh who defeated his uncle in 2014 in Katol (dist Nagpur) assembly constituency. Now, Anil Deshmukh's son Salil is willing to contest from Katol and the ex-home minister is looking for another constituency, said Ashish adding his uncle was trying to get media attention.
The ex-MLA said that he (Anil Deshmukh) was sitting quietly for over a year and a half and suddenly started saying such things. He should disclose whatever is in the pen drive instead of making such allegations. If there was something, Ashish Deshmukh said he should have shared it with the CBI and the ED.
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About The Controversy
The controversy over the pen drive and audio-visuals erupted after social activist Shyam Manav claimed that the ex-home minister was offered a proposal in which he was to sign on four affidavits involving the then CM Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aaditya Thackeray, NCP leader Ajit Pawar and then transport minister Anil Parab. Deshmukh had to face jail for denying the proposal, he had said.
Reacting to the claims, Deshmukh corroborated the statements and said he had proof to show an intermediary approached him on behalf of Fadnavis with the proposal. Had he signed those affidavits the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government would immediately have fallen.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis Reacts To The Controversy
In his reaction, Fadnavis said he too has some audiovisuals that contain how Deshmukh spoke ill about NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and controversial police officer Sachin Vaze. To this, Deshmukh countered with a challenge asking the BJP leader to disclose the contents. BJP state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Tourism Minister Girish Mahajan have criticised Deshmukh for defending Fadnavis.
