BJP-led Maharashtra govt conducting pseudo probe in Khadse MIDC case: Vikhe

Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil alleged on Tuesday that the BJP-led state government was conducting a “pseudo probe” in the case of purchase of the MIDC land near Pune by former revenue minister Eknath Khadse.

“The government is conducting a pseudo probe in the Khadse (MIDC land) case. We had demanded inquiry by a sitting judge of high court under the Commissions of Inquiry Act,” Vikhe-Patil said.

“However, the government announced inquiry by a retired judge and the Chief Minister gave him a clean chit during a party meet in Pune even before the inquiry began. All this shows that it is a pseudo probe,” he said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced in Mumbai on Monday that a judicial committee of a retired Bombay High Court judge will probe the purchase of the MIDC land by Khadse.

Khadse, the seniormost BJP leader, had to resign earlier this month over the controversial deal wherein he had purchased three-acre plot at Bhosari, believed to be owned by the state Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in name of his kin for Rs 3.75 crore as against the market price of Rs 40 crore.

Recently, Fadnavis had also said that he was confident that Khadse would emerge clean from this “Agnipariksha” test by fire), against the backdrop of a string of allegations against him.

In the wake of CBI arresting Sanatan Sanstha member Virendra Tawade in rationalist Narendra Dabholkar murder case, Vikhe Patil demanded that the government should ban the Hindu right-wing organisation.

“Why is the government delaying the decision when almost everyday shocking revelations are being made regarding the organisation’s involvement in murder of rationalists like Dabholkar and (Govind) Pansare,” he said.

The Congress leader also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing Chandigarh to hold the main event to mark the second International Yoga Day on Tuesday.

The decision to go to Chandigarh is “political”, Vikhe Patil said, adding, “Modi should have come to Marathwada instead.”