Mumbai, Mar 8 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Tuesday said the misuse of the police machinery for political purposes began under the previous BJP government led by Devendra Fadnavis.

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Participating in the debate on law and order in the Assembly, Patole said IPS officials like Rashmi Shukla were deployed by that dispensation to tap phones illegally.

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Shukla has been booked and a probe on who ordered her to tap phones must be conducted at the earliest, the Congress leader said.

Patole also sought to know the names of political parties that had accepted donations from gangsters like Iqbal Mirchi.

He said Fadnavis had accused the MVA government, comprising the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP, of misusing the police machinery to target opponents, while it was clear under whose regime phones of people were tapped.

"How can political parties take donations from gangsters like Iqbal Mirchi? This should be probed and action should be taken," he said in the House.

Patole sought the withdrawal of cases against Dalit protestors in connection with the Koregaon Bhima violence.

He also questioned why the triple test formula wasn't adopted in 2017 by the Fadnavis government to ensure OBC political quota is maintained.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)