Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced a probe by a special investigation team into a dance party where gangster Dawood Ibrahim's aide and 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Salim Kutta and a Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader were allegedly present together.
Sudhakar Badgujar, the leader in question, denied the allegations while speaking at a news conference in Nashik.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nitesh Rane raised the issue in the assembly in Nagpur through a point of information, displaying a photo where Badgujar, the Nashik city unit chief of the Sena-UBT, and Salim Kutta are seen dancing.
"I also have a video of this party. This Salim Kutta is out on parole and was partying with a leader of Uddhav Thackeray's party. Action should be taken against him," said Rane.
Minister Dadaji Bhuse, who belongs to the rival Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, demanded action against Badgujar saying that it was an anti-national act, while BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said there should be a thorough probe and Badgujar should be arrested.
Badgujar told reporters that the video that Rane claimed to have could be a morphed one.
"I never had any links with Salim Kutta. The allegations have been levelled with political motives. I did not have any links with him, nor do I have any at present. If we met in public life at some point, I do not remember it," he said.
"Guardian minister (for Nashik) Bhuse did not obtain correct information before levelling allegations against me. In 2016, a rally was taken out for the demand of separate Vidarbha state, and Shiv Sena workers protested against it. As a result, cases were filed against party workers. A case was also filed against me and I was in jail for 14 days," Badgujar said.
"The (1993) bomb blasts convicts were also in the (same) jail but we were unaware of it.... Salim Kutta must have been a prisoner there," he added.
He also mentioned the allegations of Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel having business connections with gangster Iqbal Mirchi, and sought action against him. Patel belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sachin Ahir, a member of the legislative council, told reporters that such allegations are levelled for the sake of "breaking news."
"If Rane has any evidence against anyone, he should hand it over to the home minister," he said.
