BJP's ally Shiv Sena demands Maharashtra Minister Eknath Khadse's resignation

Mumbai: In more trouble for Maharashtra Minister Eknath Khadse, Bharatiya Janata Party's ally Shiv Sena demanded the resignation of the Revenue Minister, reports said on Thursday. Khadse is facing corruption allegations and is also embroiled in a controversy that he received phone calls from Dawood Ibrahim's house in Karachi.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that BJP president Amit Shah has sought report on Khadse.

Sena said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devemdra Fadnavis has a clean image and if such allegations are levelled against a minister (Khadse), then our image is at stake.

The beleaguered Khadse -- number two in the state Cabinet and holding around 10 key portfolios, including revenue -- has been accused of corruption by different opposition parties too, which have demanded his sacking or resignation.

On Monday, Pune-based businessman-cum-activist Hemant L Gawande accused Khadse, his wife and son-in-law of various irregularities in the purchase of a piece of land.

Gawande charged Khadse with misusing power and authority, subverting laws, bypassing norms, evading tax, pressurising officials and other wrongdoings in closing the land deal in April to benefit his family members.

As far the phone calls from Dawood's residence in Pakistan is concerned, spokesperson of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Preeti Sharma Menon, had levelled the allegation against Khadse.

Menon had alleged, citing the call records obtained from a Pakistani telecom company by an Ahmedabad-based hacker, that calls were made from Dawood's house in Karachi to a mobile number registered in Khadse's name.

Khadse had later rubbished the allegation saying the number was not in use for the last one year.