The enquiry into celebrity tweets case is in progress and the preliminary probe has revealed the role of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Information Technology Cell and 12 social media influencers, said Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister of Maharashtra. Deshmukh said this in an interaction with mediapersons here on Monday soon after his discharge from a private hospital, where he was admitted after he tested positive for COVID-19. He has been advised to quarantine himself for eight days after discharge.

 

The senior leader of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had drawn flak from various quarters and on social media for ordering probe into tweets by revered Indian celebrities including ‘Bharat Ratna’ Lata Mangeshkar and ‘Bharat Ratna’ Sachin Tendulkar. He had ordered probe after ally Congress had sought investigtion into alleged role of BJP in tweets by top Indian celebrities in the aftermath of climate activist Greta Thunberg’s leaked toolkit relating to farmers’ protest in India going viral. Deshmukh sought to clarify his position in this regard on Monday. He said that his comments regarding probe into the episode were ‘distorted’ in media. “We have ordered probe to find out if the celebrities were pressured to tweet the way they did or had someone else provided the script for the tweets.

 

 

 

There is no question of ordering probe against revered celebrities like Lata Mangeshkar, who is God-like for us all, and Sachin Tendulkar,” he remarked. To a question regarding the raging controversy over the allegations of connection of Sanjay Rathod, Forest Minister, in death of aspiring model Pooja Chavan, the Home Minister said that Maharashtra Government would tell the truth to people after conducting enquiry as per the rules. Asked by reporters if Rathod should resign owning up moral responsibility, Deshmukh, “No. Already, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has made it clear that the enquiry will be conducted as per the rules.” At the same time, he said that there was no substance in the allegations levelled by the Opposition leaders in this regard. On why had Rathod gone missing, he replied, “It is is his personal matter.” On the letter written by wife of G N Saibaba, who has been convicted in Maoist connection case and has now tested positive for COVID-19, Deshmukh said that the jail authorities and the doctors were taking proper care of Saibaba.