Central agencies being misused to target political rivals: Shiv Sena
Mumbai, Apr 7: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday claimed that the law and central investigation agencies were being misused to corner political rivals.
An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said the Bombay High Court had pulled up senior police officer Param Bir Singh over his allegations of corruption against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, but took cognisance of charges in a separate petition filed by one Jayshri Patil.
"Nobody is above law. But, it is now clear that the law and central investigation agencies are being misused to corner political rivals," the Marathi publication claimed.
"It is a cause of concern that constitutional authorities are getting involved in weakening the Maharashtra government in such a manner," it said.
The Shiv Sena shares power with the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra.
The HC on Monday directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into the allegations of corruption levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh against NCP leader Deshmukh, following which he resigned as the state's home minister.
The HC was hearing pleas filed by Singh himself, lawyer Ghanshyam Upadhyay and local teacher Mohan Bhide and city-based lawyer Jayshri Patil.
The HC ordered for the CBI inquiry on Patil's plea.
The editorial said the opposition BJP in Maharashtra makes statements like which state minister is next in line to resign.
"They would not say this if they weren't confident that the central probe agencies were working for them. This is a conspiracy to defame the state," the Sena alleged.
It said earlier also, the opposition parties had levelled allegations against members of the ruling party and several ministers and chief ministers had to quit.
But, the atmosphere was not full of hatred and poison, the Sena said.
It said while the Bombay HC passed an order to conduct a probe into allegations against Anil Deshmukh,Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa recently got a relief from the Supreme Court as it stayed the criminal proceedings against him in a 10-year-old corruption case.
"Why different decisions for Anil Deshmukh and the Karnataka chief minister?" the Marathi daily sought to know.
Referring to a French media report on Rafale fighter jet deal which claimed that Euro 1.1 million was paid to a "middleman" by the aircraft manufacturer, the editorial asked who should now resign on moral grounds?
"Is morality only for the Shiv Sena and NCP?" it questioned.
The BJP has already denied the allegation in the French media report as baseless.
The editorial said "the Supreme Court had earlier passed an order that there was no corruption in the Rafale case" and the BJP had targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his charges about corruption in the fighter jet deal.
Notably, the Supreme Court had dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making process" warranting setting aside of the contract.
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Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
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Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
