New Delhi, Mar 21 (IANS): There is a pressure building within the alliance of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh should quit after the allegations were levelled against him by the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.

Sources within the alliance say that allegation is a very serious one and only face saver would be his resignation but final call on the issue will be taken by Sharad Pawar.

The NCP has called its senior leaders meeting to take final step on it. Till now the NCP has been in defending mode but clarity will come only after the NCP Chief takes a final decision on it.

Deshmukh has denied the charges and said on Saturday that he will sue Singh for defamation. The BJP has called for his removal.

In a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Param Bir Singh had said that the home minister had asked several officers, including Sachin Vaze to run an extortion racket and were given a target of Rupees 100 crore every month and asked to collect the money from restaurants, pubs, bars and hookah parlours.