PM should sack Deshmukh if he doesn't resign: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday targetted Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for his alleged involvement in illegal land allotment to a prominent movie producer and demanded that he should be sacked if he does not step down immediately.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters that the Comptroller and Auditor General report which is yet to be tabled in Maharshtra Assembly has reportedly indicted Deshmukh in a land allotment case to "select Non-Governmental Organisations" and a media baron. She said even the Supreme Court has rebuked the minister.

"Deshmukh has no moral authority to continue in office. He should step down immediately. If he does not resign, then the prime minister should remove him," Sitharaman said, adding that his continuance as a Cabinet Minister is in no way justified after these reports.

Deshmukh, a former chief minister of Maharashtra, is now the union minister of science and technology.

The BJP said Deshmukh should resign and then clear his name in these scams. His name had earlier cropped up in the Adarsh Housing Society scam as well.

According to reports, Deshmukh had favoured film-maker and producer Subash Ghai by alloting him land allegedly at throw-away prices for a film academy.