NCP faces flak over arrest of party MP in murder case

New Delhi/Mumbai, June 8 (PTI) Sharad Pawar's
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Monday came under attack
following the arrest of its senior MP Padamsinh Patil by CBI
in a double murder case and faced allegations of a cover up in
the matter by up by the party's Home Minister in westerm state
Maharashtra.

There were demands that Patil, elected from Osmanabad in
Maharashtra in the recent elections, should resign from the
Lok Sabha or he should be expelled from the party. Senior NCP
leader and Union Minister Praful Patil reacted saying if the
charges of murder are proved against him the party will
"completely dissociate" from him.

While the Lok Sabha was informed of his arrest by
Speaker Meira Kumar, the Maharashtra Assembly was rocked by
the development with the Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP memebers
demanding resignation of Home Minister Jayant Patil, who
belongs to NCP.

Patil was arrested in connection with the murder of
Congress leader Pawanraj Nimbalkar, a cousin of Padamsinh
Patil, and his driver three years ago and has been remanded in
CBI custody. The agency grilled him further Monday but
allowed him to have food brought from home.

BJP General Secretary and former Maharashtra Deputy
Chief Minister Gopinath Munde said Patil should resign as MP
or his party should expel him. He criticised NCP chief
Pawar's reported comment that Patil is a respectable leader.

Sena leader Sanjay Raut demanded Jayant Patil's
resignation in view of the arrest by CBI as the case was
earlier handled by the state police.

Pawar himself declined to comment much saying as a
member of the Union Cabinet he did not not want to say
something that may affect investigations. "Let them
(investigating agency) do their job," he said.

Union Minister Praful Patel said the arrest was a matter
between the investigating agency and the person concerned and
it was not not a party matter.

"I think the law should take its course. We consider
this a personal matter and not not a party matter. If the
charges are proved the party will completely dissociate from
Patil," he said.

Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil,
who was himself a Home Minister earlier, dismissed the charge
of cover up in the investigations saying there was no no
effort to shield anybody.

In the Maharashtra Assembly, members of Shiv Sena and
BJP demanded the resignation of state Home Minister Jayant
Patil. Raising the issue, Leader of the Opposition Ramdas
Kadam demanded a discussion on an adjournment motion setting
aside other business of the day.

"Had Pawanraj's widow not not approached the High
Court and the CBI not not stepped in, the former minister
would not not have been arrested," he claimed alleging the
Congress-NCP government tried to "hush up" the matter.

BJP leader Eknath Khadse said a Lok Sabha member of
the ruling party being arrested under charges of murder was a
"serious matter".

He said the fact that the CBI had to step in was a
was a failure of the state Home Department and demanded that
the Home Minister should resign.

Deputy Chief Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, who belongs
to NCP and was himself a Home Minister earlier, refuted the
Opposition charge and pointed out that the arrest of an
accused Parasmal Jain was effected by the state police. PTI
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