It’s a repeat of Delhi in Maharashtra. Replicating the strategy in Parliament, where the BJP countered allegations of scams against its Ministers by levelling corruption charges against the Opposition, the State BJP raked up scams involving the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Raising the issue of alleged corruption by the Ministers in the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the Assembly on Friday, the Opposition demanded their resignations in order to facilitate a fair probe.
“The Chief Minister himself gives certificate of innocence without conducting any inquiry. We demand that these Ministers resign and a probe be held into these allegations,” said senior NCP leader Jayant Patil.
CM’s counter
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis countered this saying that if allegations were to be the basis of resignations then half of the Opposition would have to quit from their posts.
Mr. Fadnavis’ statement led to an uproar.
Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde is accused of awarding contracts worth Rs. 206 crore without conducting a mandatory e-tender for purchase of chikki.
Education Minister Vinod Tawde is facing allegations of obtaining a fake engineering degree. MoS Home Ranjit Patil is being accused of keeping property information hidden, while Water Sanitation Minister Babanrao Lonikar faces a bigamy charge.
Later, addressing the media, BJP MLA Anil Gote threatened to come out with an expose in the multi-thousand crore Telgi scam on Tuesday.
While Mr. Gote himself is alleged to be involved in the scam, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s name is also linked to this case.
Mr. Gote’s threat is considered an attempt to silence NCP MLAs at the forefront of the Opposition campaign demanding the resignations of Ministers.
Inside the Assembly, the BJP displayed banners seeking immediate arrest of another NCP MLA Ramesh Kadam. Mr. Kadam is an accused in the scam worth Rs. 350 crore in the Annabhau Sathe Development Corporation. Mr. Fadnavis reminded the Opposition of the Adarsh Housing Society scam, in which the former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is allegedly involved. The Assembly adjourned amid chaos.
Sena urges probe Meanwhile, in an interview to Sena mouthpiece Saamna, party chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded an inquiry into the alleged chikki scam perpetrated by the department headed by Ms. Pankaja Munde.
