MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday opened the decade-old irrigation ‘scam’ projected at Rs 70,000 crore and claimed that his colleague and former home minister late RR Patil was responsible for initiating an open inquiry involving him.
Ajit said he was surprised when he learnt that his cabinet colleague and “friend” Patil signed on the file initiating the inquiry. The deputy CM was campaigning for his party candidate Sanjaya Kaka Patil, who is contesting against late RR Patil’s son Rohit Patil in Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal in Sangli district.
“This happened when the Congress-NCP government in 2014 was on its last legs. Then, we withdrew support to the Congress CM Prithviraj Chavan-led government and later President’s rule was imposed. The file then went to the governor who refused to sign it, saying the next elected government will take a decision. “When the BJP government came to power, then CM Fadnavis called me at his residence and showed me the file that was signed by Patil, which I think Patil did purely to defame me,” Ajit said.
“Fadnavis told me that your party leader RR Patil signed the file to carry out an investigation against you. He said he had to sign it as the CM,” Ajit said. “The entire budget of the irrigation department is Rs 42,000 crore. How come can it be Rs 70,000 cr scam? The issue forced me to quit,” Ajit said.
Meanwhile, as the Assembly poll temperature shot up in the state, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar sought to remind his nephew Ajit of his six-month-old speech during the Lok Sabha polls a few months ago. In an aside, He told his nephew not to shed tears over political differences in the family.
Sharad was referring to Ajit’s speech a couple of days ago. Sharad was in Baramati to campaign for his grand-nephew Yugnedra Pawar who is contesting against his deputy CM uncle Ajit Pawar in Baramati. Citing Ajit, Pawar said: “Sharad will come to Baramati and try to make you emotional; he will bring tears to your eyes and urge you to cast your vote for Supriya Sule, but do not get emotional.”