MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday targeted the Centre for handing over the probe in Elgar Parishad case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) saying, the “Centre’s interference in Maharashtra is unwelcome.”
“India is a union of states. Every state has its own rights. The Centre forcing its way, invites instability. NIA has taken over a case in Maharashtra while similar things are happening in BJP-ruled states. Why doesn’t the Centre interfere in those states?” the Sena questioned in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana.
“Given the way the Centre handed over the probe to the NIA, it seems it did it not want the truth to come out” the editorial said.
It said, the erstwhile BJP-led government in the state had said that the Elgar Parishad —Bhima Koregaon episode was a “political and national conspiracy,” and that there was a “secret plot” to harm PM Narendra Modi.
“The previous government had also cited unnamed letters and e-mails as evidence to drive home its conspiracy theory. However, people have not yet understood what the conspiracy was,” it stated.
The Sena said that the Centre “turned restless” after NCP chief Sharad Pawar called for a review of the case. Referring to charges levelled by Prakash Ambedkar that the then BJP government had doctored the Bhima-Koregaon riots case and feared that truth will be exposed, it said that the NIA takeover was a “suspicious” move.