BJP leader Eknath Khadse welcomes probe on phone tapping

In an interesting development, sidelined BJP strongman Eknath Khadse on Thursday welcomed the decision of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government to institute a probe on allegations of phone tapping during the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis regime.

"That my phone was among the phones tapped, I read these in newspapers....I welcome the probe," Khadse said speaking to a TV channel in New Delhi.

However, he went on to add: "I do not think that my phone would have been tapped...but if it was then it is very unfortunate...the probe would reveal the truth."

Khadse was No 2 to Fadnavis in the previous BJP-Shiv Sena government but had to resign in the wake of charges of alleged corruption and reports of links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

In fact, in the Vidhan Sabha polls, he was among those who were denied ticket by the BJP. But, when he threatened to contest as an Independent from his home seat of Muktainagar in Jalgaon district, his daughter Rohini Khadse was fielded. However, she lost the polls to Independent Chandrakant Patil, who was backed by NCP-Congress. Khadse's supporters had blamed Fadnavis for the defeat and sidelining him for the last five years.

Earlier this week, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh announced a two member probe panel comprising Shrikant Singh, Additional Chief Secretary of Home department and Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of State Intelligence Department.

After the Maha Vikas Aghadi government came to power, several leaders of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress complained of tapping of their phones during the Vidhan Sabha elections.