Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare raised questions on Wednesday about when the SIT will summon Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Shinde-led Sena MLA Deepal Kesarkar for questioning, based on the revelations made by social activist Anjali Damania.
“The Chief Minister should answer if the call detail record (CDR) released by Anjali Damania, highlighting their close telephonic links with arrested godman Ashok Kharat, is true or false. If it is true, then when will Deepak Kesarkar and Eknath Shinde be called by the SIT for questioning?”
However, Shinde-led Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar told media persons that Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare’s allegations are “politically motivated”.
“I am not under any obligation to answer Sushma Andhare’s question. She is a political person, so she will try to defame us politically. Therefore, I will not comment on this matter,” Kesarkar said.
“Both the SIT and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are investigating the Ashok Kharat case. Just meeting someone or being in a photograph with someone cannot be a crime. Therefore, it is not right to give a political spin to everything, said Deepak Kesarkar while responding to Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare’s allegations.
“Let the SIT and ED do their work. It is wrong to take our names without any reason when I have no connection with the matter. Simply because we are well known, allegations are made against us,” Kesarkar said.
Sushma Andhare demanded the arrest of former Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission, Rupali Chakankar, while targeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar, as well as Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare.
“Ashok Kharat was arrested a month ago, and the SIT was formed a day or two before that. After one month, the media and many like us seem to have done more work than the police. The speed of the investigation by the police is still not as fast as it should be. Therefore, we wonder whether the Chief Minister is serious about the issue or not,” Sushma Andhare said.
“If Chief Minister Fadnavis had shown seriousness and accelerated the investigation, similar incidents would not have happened. Three to four sex scandals have been revealed in Amravati and elsewhere. Just because you are not serious about the Kharat incident, are you giving people a licence to commit crimes? Your government used bulldozers to demolish the residence of the accused in the Amravati sexual exploitation case. So, please tell us how Ashok Kharat’s luxurious farmhouse survived? The property owned by Rupali Chakankar should also be bulldozed,” Sushma Andhare said.
“When all these cases of sexual exploitation of women are coming to light, we have some questions for Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and the state’s Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare as well. You asked Rupali Chakankar to resign to save the image of your party. As the first female Deputy Chief Minister of this state, what did you do to reassure women of this state? Strangely, you have not yet taken any steps to ensure that Rupali Chakankar is arrested,” Sushma Andhare said.
“The Maharashtra State Women’s Commission functions under the Ministry of Women & Child Development. What steps did you take as the Minister for Women and Child Development?” Sushma Andhare asked, referring to Aditi Tatkare.
“During the election campaign, you had said that you wanted Sunetra Pawar to be the Chief Minister. But are you capable as a leader? After Rupali Chakankar, who functioned under your department, stepped down, what steps did you take to get her arrested?” she asked.