At a time when Congress, Shiv Sena and the NCP-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra faces sharp criticism from the BJP over former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh's allegations against State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday refrained from confirming the reports of his meeting with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, saying that "everything can't be made public".
On March 25, Deshmukh had written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to investigate the corrupt malpractices allegations levelled against him by Param Bir Singh.
Singh had written a letter to Thackeray alleging that Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month.
Following corruption allegations levelled against Deshmukh, on March 24, a delegation of BJP leaders, led by Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis met the Governor and handed over a memorandum, stating that the Vikas Aghadi government has lost the moral ground to remain in power.
Earlier, on March 20, Fadnavis had demanded Deshmukh's resignation.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday took Waze to the bridge over the Mithi river in connection with the probe of Mansukh Hiran's death case.
The NIA divers recovered computer CPUs, two number plates carrying the same registration number, and other items from the Mithi river in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex. Accused Waze was also present at the spot.
Hiran, the owner of the vehicle that was found containing explosives materials outside the house of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, was found dead on March 5 in Thane. Investigation into his death was being probed by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), till the MHA handed over the probe to the NIA.
Waze, the Assistant Police Inspector in the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) who was in charge of the Hiren case, was in NIA custody till March 25, for his alleged role and involvement in placing the explosives-laden vehicle outside the residence of Ambani. Later a special NIA court on March 25 allowed the agency custody till April 3.
