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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar has claimed that former Home Minister late RR Patil betrayed him by ordering an open enquiry into the alleged Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam.
Addressing a gathering in Sangli on Tuesday Pawar said, "Allegations were made that a scam of Rs 70,000 crore occurred in the irrigation department. From the day Maharashtra was established on May 1st until the date of the allegations, the total expenditure of the irrigation department was only Rs 42000 crore, which included salaries and all other expenses. I was perplexed by how a scam of Rs 70000 crore could arise from a department that had a total expenditure of just Rs 42000 crore." "Subsequently, a file was prepared which was sent to the home department and this person (RR Patil ) had signed that file saying to make an open enquiry against Ajit Pawar... This is nothing but backstabbing and betrayal," Pawar said. "After all these allegations the president's rule was imposed in Maharashtra because we had taken back the support from Prithviraj Chavhan's government ..and the UPA government collapsed...further during President's rule the file was sent to the Governor however Governor refused to sign that file for the enquiry and he said that let the next government will come in power and let the next Chief Minister sign this file," he said. "In 2014, Devendra Fadnavis-led government came into power.. One day, he invited me to his home and showed me a file that was pending for the Chief Minister's signature. Previously, this file had been signed by our Home Minister, RR Patil, initiating an open inquiry into the scam. I personally saw that (RR Patil's) signature and felt very disappointed. The colleague whom I had supported so much had done this to me," Pawar said. Ajit Pawar is contesting the election from his bastion Baramati but is being challenged by hiis own nephew Yugendra Pawar. (ANI)
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