Oppn wants M'rashtra home minister to quit

Leader of Opposition Ramdas Kadam sought the chair’s permission to move the adjournment motion while demanding the resignations of Patil and Padmasinh’s son and Minister of State for Revenue Rana Jagjitsinh.

Padmasinh was arrested by the CBI on Sunday, and a court in Panvel sent him to the CBI custody till June 14 for the murder of his cousin and Congress leader Pavanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Quazi in 2006. The two were shot dead while travelling in a car.

Padmasinh, however, has rubbished the charge and alleged that he was being framed up in the murder conspiracy by his enemies. The court has directed the CBI to provide all medical assistance to Padmasinh after he complained of chest pain. He is currently in a hospital. Kadam, raising the issue in the assembly, alleged that although the CBI arrested Padmasinh Patil, the state CID had uncovered links of the NCP leader with the political murder of his cousin Pavanraje in 2006 itself.

He alleged that the CID was not allowed to pursue its probe as the then home minister R R Patil, who was also the state’s deputy chief minister, belonged to the NCP. He said current Home Minister Jayant Patil too was from the NCP and therefore, both Patils were guilty of shielding their party colleague from the murder charges. He demanded Jayant Patil’s resignation, which kicked off a storm in the house, forcing the chair to adjourn it for 20 minutes. Kadam was equally supported by the BJP floor leader Eknath Khadse.

Meanwhile, the NCP is coming under increasing pressure to at least suspend Padmasinh from the party membership, pending the court decision.

Padmasinh was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Osmanabad constituency in Marathwada region in the recent elections. Besides Padmasinh, the CBI has arrested four persons earlier, who are Parasmal Jain, a BJP corporator from Dombivali city Mohan Shukla, Satish Mandade and Dinesh Tiwari.

A CBI team has also gone to Uttar Pradesh in connection with the case.

DH News Service