Javadekar raises Maha Deshmukh issue in RS

New Delhi, March 22 Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday raised the Anil Deshmukh bribery issue in the Rajya Sabha while the members of the Treasury Benches resorted to sloganeering seeking the dismissal of the Maharashtra government.

During the Question Hour when the turn of Javadekar came to reply to a question regarding his ministry, he said: "I could not hear the question but in Maharashtra, Ministers are taking 100 crore bribe and police is planting bombs which was earlier done by terrorists."

The Treasury Benches demanded the dismissal of the state government.

The MVA on Sunday rejected the demand of the opposition to dismiss state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said that there was no question of Deshmukh's resignation in the wake of the sensational allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. The party had a marathon meeting at Sharad Pawar's 6 Janpath residence here.

Former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh set off a major row on Saturday when he alleged that Deshmukh had asked suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, who has been arrested in the SUV case and is in NIA custody, to collect Rs 100 crore from Mumbai's restaurants, bars and hookah bars.

( With inputs from IANS )