Stepping up its offensive against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the BJP on Sunday said that the arrest of Sachin Vaze is just the starting of the probe and much more would come out in the days to come.
“It is big plot…the arrest of Sachin Vaze is just the beginning…in the days to come much more would come out…what was the conspiracy, who asked him to do all this,” Leader of Opposition in Assembly and two-time Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis said: “The NIA has arrested Sachin Vaze…this is one part of the crime, the other part is death of Mansukh Hiran.”
“The planting of the Scorpio SUV near the residence of RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani and the death of the vehicle Mansukh Hiran are serious issue….how can a person who planted the vehicle can be the investigating officer of the same case,” Fadnavis said.
His counterpart in Council Pravin Darekar demanded a statement from Thackeray on the entire episode and the latter had been defending Vaze during the Budget Session of Maharashtra Legislature.
BJP MLA and spokesperson Ram Kadam demanded that there should be a narco test on Vaze so that the names of the master conspirators behind the incident come out while former MP Kirit Somaiya said that Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh must be removed.
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Fadnavis, who had held the Home portfolio for five years, said that when he was the Chief Minister – the Shiv Sena, its former alliance partner, recommended that Vaze be reinstated. “I took the advice of the Advocate General and did not take it forward…he was suspended and a case was pending in the Bombay High Court,” he said.
The BJP leader further noted that when the Thackeray government came in power, it ensured the reinstatement of Vaze. “He is an officer of the rank of an Assistant Police Inspector….the Crime Intelligence Unit is headed by a Police Inspector…the incumbent Police Inspector was removed and the API was given the full charge of the all-important unit,” he said.
He said he has nothing against Vaze and has never met him but raised the issue as the Leader of Opposition.