Sanjay Raut Takes U-Turn On Sachin Vaze, Questions How Could HM Anil Deshmukh Be Unaware Of 'Vasooli'

In the Shiv Sena mouthpiece column, Raut stated that Anil Deshmukh got the post of Home Minister accidentally.

Mumbai: In his weekly column in Saamana, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has taken a U-turn on Sachin Vaze and state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

In the Shiv Sena mouthpiece column, Raut stated that Anil Deshmukh accidentally got the post of Home Minister. He further questioned how Deshmukh could be unaware of Sachin Vaze doing “vasooli” while sitting in Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office.

How come an API level officer like Sachin Vaze got so many rights, he asked.

In his article, Sanjay Raut wrote, "If a junior officer like Sachin Vaze was running a (money) collection racket from the Mumbai police commissioner's office, why was the home minister not aware of it?"

"Vaze was a mere API in Mumbai police. Who gave him so many powers? Whose favourite was he? All this should come out," Raut added.

The Shiv Sena MP further attacked Deshmukh, saying that Anil Deshmukh had accidentally got the post of Home Minister. Jayant Patil and Dilip Walse refused to accept the post of Home Minister then Sharad Pawar handed it over to Deshmukh, he stated.

"Deshmukh unnecessarily rubbed some police officials the wrong way. A home minister cannot function properly if he gets surrounded by suspicious officers," he wrote.

The Maharashtra government has been mired in controversy after the NIA took over the probe of Antilia Bomb Scare case. Details of Vaze’s involvement in the case along with allegations of Mansukh Hiran’s murder have made the state government withdraw its support from the suspended cop.

Talking about the political crisis, Sanjay Raut also expressed that "No major leader came forward to defend the image of the government, which led people to believe in Singh's allegations". 

The government seems to have no clear plan for 'Damage Control', after former Police commissioner Param Bir Singh levelled serious allegations against the state Home Minister.

Allegations Against Anil Deshmukh

Parambir Singh called out Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, alleging illegal extortion. He had said that Deshmukh was in direct contact with police officer Sachin Vaze and instructed him to extort Rs 100 crore of illegal money every month.

Deshmukh has demanded an inquiry into the allegations leveled against him. He wrote a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in this regard. Meanwhile, opposition leaders such as Former CM Devendra Fadnavis and MNS chief Raj Thackeray have demanded the resignation of the Home Minister.