Maharashtra’s ruling combine sees in former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh’s allegations a larger conspiracy to destabilise the state government but hasn’t ruled out sacrificing home minister Anil Deshmukh in this political battle.

Singh, recently removed as Mumbai police chief in the aftermath of the discovery of a car with explosives near Mukesh Ambani’s Mumbai home, has accused Deshmukh of setting the city police a target of collecting Rs 100 crore per month through extortion.

All the three ruling allies — the NCP, Shiv Sena and the Congress — seem to have closed ranks, suspecting a deeper political motive.

However, they are dealing separately with the question of “image crisis” and will meet on Monday to decide on NCP politician Deshmukh’s continuance.

While NCP veteran Sharad Pawar has made it clear that removing or retaining a minister is the chief minister’s prerogative, he has said his party would offer its views on Monday after hearing Deshmukh.

Pawar has summoned Maharashtra NCP chief R.R. Patil and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, also the legislature party leader, to Delhi for discussions.

Sena chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, said to be image-conscious, had removed Sena minister Sanjay Rathod after he was accused of links with a woman who committed suicide. Sources, however, said Uddhav was aware of the possibility that the sacked police chief was playing a deeper game.

Congress leaders declined to discuss the issue publicly as the NCP and Uddhav were tackling it, but hinted at a conspiracy.

Pawar, who has acknowledged that “all alternatives, including the removal of the home minister” are on the table as the allegation is serious, has stressed that the former police commissioner has hit back only after being removed.

“The allegation that the home minister instructed collection of Rs 100 crore per month is serious. But there is no information about actual collection and handing over of the money to the home minister or his staff. This is an allegation,” Pawar told a news conference.

“The former police commissioner made the wild allegation after the government decided to transfer him. There are allegations against the home minister and there are allegations against the former police commissioner.”

He added: “I have been told that Sachin Waze, the sub-inspector who was suspended 16 years ago, was reinstated by the (then) police commissioner (Singh), not by the chief minister or the home minister. And soon after his reinstatement, the (then) police commissioner gave him a sensitive assignment.”

Waze has been arrested in connection with the purported murder of Mansukh Hiren, an auto dealer who was once in possession of the car found near Ambani’s home and was found dead in a creek in Thane this month.

Admitting serious lapses by the Mumbai police, Pawar said: “The wife of Mansukh Hiren... has blamed Waze for his death. The government made a conscious decision to remove Singh as police chief. He did not want to register a case in the suicide of seven-term MP Mohan Delkar, saying Dadra and Nagar Haveli police should investigate. That was wrong when he committed suicide in Mumbai.

“My suggestion is that the allegations made by the former police commissioner should be investigated by Julio Ribeiro, the former (Mumbai) police commissioner, who has a very high reputation.”

Asked if Rs 100 crore can be collected through extortion in Mumbai in a month, Pawar said: “Talk to any officer in Mumbai, they will laugh.”

He said any effort to topple the state government would fail and flagged the Delhi visits by state BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and Singh before the controversy broke.

Many NCP and Sena leaders suspect Singh of acting in collusion with Fadnavis and accuse him of playing a double-game while he was Mumbai police chief. They allege that even the TRP case against Arnab Goswami was weakened.

The Congress chose to accuse the BJP of hypocrisy and corruption instead of directly dealing with Singh’s allegations.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi flagged yet another high court stricture against Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and wondered why Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union home minister Amit Shah hadn’t uttered a word on the subject.