Mumbai, June 08: The arrest of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Padamsinh Patil rocked the Maharashtra Assembly on Monday with the Opposition parties demanding resignation of state Home Minister Jayant Patil and Information Minister Rana Jagjitsinh Patil, who is also the son of the accused.
The entire Opposition was on its feet minutes after the House assembled for the day and raised slogans accusing the state government of allegedly attempting to shield Padamsinh Patil.
Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Shiv Sena’s Ramdas Kadam, raised the issue and demanded the resignation of the two ministers. He also demanded a detailed discussion and a statement by the government on the issue. Following this, the house was adjourned for 15 minutes.
BJP leader Gopinath Munda said in Delhi, “We are waiting to see what action NCP takes against Padamsinh Patil, who is accused in the murder of Pawanraje Nimbalkar.”
Senior NCP leader and MP Padamsinh Patil was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the 2006 murder of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar.
Today’s developments have put more pressure on NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who has so far not taken any action against Padamsinh. The speculations doing the round suggest a conspiracy behind the whole affair deliberately orchestrated by the Congress to corner the NCP chief and press its advantage especially at a time when Assembly elections are coming closer.
The NCP MP’s arrest has also spoiled the credibility of the state government since former Home Minister R R Patil and his successor Jayant Patil, had earlier given Padamsinh a clean chit.
However, four months after the CBI took over the investigations the case has taken a serious turn.
Patil has been booked under section 120 (b) for criminal conspiracy and 302 (for murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Besides Patil, the CBI also arrested two other accused – Mohan Shukla and Parasmal Jain in connection with Nimbalkar’s murder.
‘If Patil proved guilty, NCP will dissociate itself from him’
Owing to pressure from the opposition parties the NCP leadership today said that it will “completely dissociate” itself from party MP Padamsinh Patil, arrested in the murder case of a Maharashtra Congress leader, if charges against him are proved.
“If the charges are proved, then the NCP will completely dissociate itself from Patil,” senior NCP leader and Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told reporters here.
He, however, noted that it was too early to comment on the involvement of the NCP MP into the crime.
“As of now, the party has nothing to do with it (the case) as it is something between the investigative agencies and Patil,” the Union Minister said.
Speaker informs Lok Sabha about Patil’s arrest
Speaker Meira Kumar today informed the Lok Sabha about the arrest of NCP MP Padamsinh Patil in the murder case of Maharashtra Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar.
Patil, a member from Osmanabad in Marathawada region of Maharashtra, was arrested by the CBI yesterday, Kumar said quoting a communication received by her from the Superintendent of Police, CBI, Mumbai.
–Agencies