Accusing the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of attempting to pressurise him in connection with a case of illicit phone tapping, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday claimed that the Mumbai Police were trying to make him a co-accused in the matter, even as the MVA said it was not acting vindictively against the BJP leader.
Mr. Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister of the State, attributed the ruling government’s action — of directing the Mumbai Police to issue a notice against him — as a malicious response to the scams of the MVA government’s Ministers that he had been uncovering, particularly that of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Minister Nawab Malik’s alleged links with fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
A large body of BJP workers protested against the “notice” issued to Mr. Fadnavis outside his Mumbai residence ‘Sagar’, where police security was beefed up. Prior to the arrival of the Mumbai Police team, several BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Pravin Darekar, MLA Nitesh Rane and MLC Prasad Lad, among others, gathered at Mr. Fadnavis’ residence in a show of solidarity. BJP activists burnt copies of the police notice in different parts of the State.
