BJP used former Bihar DGP to malign Maharashtra: Congress

While Pandey has dismissed speculation that his `political ambitions' prompted his actions or statements in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, the Maharashtra BJP dubbed the state Congress's allegations as "baseless". "The Bihar DGP who was used for this defamation is being blatantly rewarded.

The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP of using former Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey to defame Maharashtra, and said he was now being "rewarded". While Pandey has dismissed speculation that his `political ambitions' prompted his actions or statements in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, the Maharashtra BJP dubbed the state Congress's allegations as "baseless".

"The Bihar DGP who was used for this defamation is being blatantly rewarded. His voluntary retirement says it all," said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant here. While a government officer has to give three months' notice before resigning, Pandey's resignation was accepted immediately, he said.

"He is expected to be rewarded," Sawant said. The BJP had no sympathy for actor Sushant Singh Rajput but sensed a political opportunity to use his death for the coming Bihar elections and now for the proposed new film city in Uttar Pradesh, he claimed.

"The Sushant case has now been cast aside. There is a new narrative about an alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus. Drugs nexus is a pretext but the real reason is (they want) to control and arm twist the film industry," the Congress spokesperson alleged. The Congress has no objection to the Narcotics Control Bureau probing the drugs angle in the Rajput case, he said.

"NCB has an office in Mumbai, why didn't it probe it earlier? No arrest was made by the NCB in the FIR related to Sushant Singh Rajput death case. All arrests were made in the alleged drug consumption case which has nothing to do with the death case," he said. The Union government stated in Parliament that the NCB had no actionable inputs to link the Mumbai film industry with drugs, the Congress spokesperson said.

Speaking to reporters in Patna earlier in the day, Pandey dismissed allegations linking his alleged pro-active stand in the Rajput case to political ambitions. While in Delhi, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut alleged while speaking to a Marathi newschannel that "he ran a political agenda and is going to be rewarded for it".

Maharashtra BJP's chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said it was the Maharashtra government which was responsible for the image of the state and its police getting sullied at the national level. "The government through its police machinery targeted a woman and shattered the image of Maharashtra which was known for its inclusiveness. The Congress and its leaders like Sachin Sawant are known for leveling baseless charges. I do not think I am going to take it seriously," Upadhye said.

Days after Rajput's alleged suicide in Mumbai, the Patna police registered an abetment of suicide case against his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. The probe was later handed over to the CBI..