Is Sachin Vaze Osama, asks Uddhav Thackeray

Breaking his silence on the investigation into Thane resident Mansukh Hiranrsquos mysterious death Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the Opposition was targeting Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze named the prime suspect in the case as if he was Osama bin Laden The Scorpio SUV which was found abandoned outside industrialist Mukesh Ambanirsquos residence with explosives inside was traced to HiranAPI Sachin Vaze outside the commissioner of policersquos office in south Mumbai on Wednesday He is the prime suspect in Hiranrsquos death caseThe Opposition wants someone to hang before the probe is complete This is the Oppositionrsquos new way They engage in character assassination The investigation is on and it will nail the guilty ldquo he said after the conclusion of the Budget session on Wednesday The Opposition has demanded his arrest and suspensionEarlier in the day the state government announced Vazersquos transfer from the city Crime Branch unit he heads currently Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said he was transferred following the Oppositionrsquos threat that the dayrsquos business would not be allowed if the officer was not shifted ldquoWe convinced the CM to end the issue so that we can transact legislative business on the last day of the session The government needs to compromise when public issues like approval for the Budget in the legislature are importantrdquo said PawarlsquoWe take all crimes seriouslyrsquoThackeray admitted that Vaze had joined the Shiv Sena a decade ago but did not renew his membership ldquoThe person who abetted MP Mohan Delkarrsquos suicide was a BJP minister Is Vaze a leader or a ministerrdquo he asked telling the media persons that an FIR was lodged in Delkarrsquos suicide after recording the statement of his family ldquoUnlike the Opposition we have taken all care before filing an FIRrdquo he said adding that every crime was taken seriously by his governmentDevendra Fadnavis Opposition leaderThackeray said Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis could be probed if needed for procuring a call detail report CDR in the Hiran death case But first the government has asked Fadnavis to submit the CDR he addedldquoIf their Opposition investigating capabilities are so strong then we donrsquot need all other official agencies We need to know whether the CDR in possession of the Opposition leader proves his claimsrdquo said the CMlsquoVaze has something on govtrsquoResponding to Thackerayrsquos statement Fadnavis said Vaze didnrsquot need a lawyer because the chief minister had become his advocateldquoI think Vaze has something that can shake and bring the Thackeray government down Even though a strong evidence is available and the police has filed a case of murder Vaze is being protected Why is the CM defending Vazerdquo asked Fadnavis adding that the Opposition knows that Vaze wasnrsquot LadenHe said former minister Sanjay Rathod was made to resign because he couldnrsquot harm the government but Vaze was protected He questioned the CM over the FIRs in the Hiran and Delkar cases ldquoThe CM is selective Even Hiranrsquos wife has named a suspect Why did the government choose to rake up the Delkar case after Vazersquos case came uprdquo he askedOn the matter of CDR Fadnavis said he has already challenged the government to probe him ldquoI will face the probe but I donrsquot understand why they ask the Opposition for evidence What do they dordquo he askedFadnavis said the Oppositionrsquos exposeacute has put the government on the back foot ldquoWe still want Vaze to be arrested When we learnt that the government wanted to approve the Budget without debating it we put a condition that we will allow the business to be conducted only if the officer was transferredrdquo he saidNo to chemical refinery at NanarCM Uddhav Thackeray said the chemical refinery which was proposed to be built at Nanar but later scrapped because of environmental concerns would be constructed at an alternative site where the locals approve of it ldquoNot just the money but the environment is also important Some people had come to meet me but I told them the same thingrdquo he said Thackerayrsquos cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray has demanded the revival of the refinery at Nanar and claimed that the NCP boss Sharad Pawar had supported his stand