Prove That I Spoke Against Sharad Pawar, Ex Maharashtra Minister Dares Devendra Fadnavis

Senior NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Thursday challenged Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to make public the video clips that show him allegedly speaking against NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Deshmukh said, "Yesterday, Mr Fadnavis claimed that he has some video clips about my comments against Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. Then he should make the video clips public because I know he possesses none."

"But he does not have any such video clips and he talked about them just to level allegations," he said.

Mr Deshmukh also showed a pen drive saying that it contains evidence about the allegations he made against Fadnavis.

He reiterated his allegation that three years ago, he was pressured by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis to make an affidavit and level false allegations against Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar, Aaditya Thackeray and Anil Parab.

"But I clearly told them that I will not level any false allegations against anyone," the former minister said.

He said he was sent to jail after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) action for refusing to sign the affidavit.

When asked about the pen drive in his hand, Deshmukh said it contains proof of his allegations against Mr Fadnavis.

"If I am challenged, I will reveal the video evidence I have. I don't speak without proof. I have proof to establish that I was pressured to level false allegations against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders," he said.

On Wednesday, Mr Deshmukh alleged that an 'intermediary' of Mr Fadnavis had asked him to provide affidavits against important figures in the MVA government to avoid getting embroiled in litigation himself. Mr Fadnavis had denied the allegation.

Mr Deshmukh stepped down as home minister in April 2021 after the then Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh accused him of asking police to collect money from hotel and bar owners in the city.

However, reacting to Mr Deshmukh's allegation on Wednesday, Mr Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, had said it was baseless.

"Anil Deshmukh should know that his own party leaders have provided me with multiple pieces of audio-visual evidence of his comments about then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, or the controversial police officer Sachin Waze. If false accusations are levelled against me, I will have no choice but to make this evidence public," Mr Fadnavis said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)