Mumbai, Nov 7: Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Friday said had Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar acted in time, he might have avoided the controversy surrounding a land deal involving a firm linked to his son.
The senior leader appeared to be taking a swipe at Pawar, a BJP ally, saying his "busy schedule" could be the reason for his inaction.
Busy Schedule Comment
"If Ajit Pawar had acted when he first got wind of the Pune land issue, this situation might not have arisen. But considering his busy schedule, sometimes a few decisions happen automatically," Vikhe Patil, a former Congress leader, told reporters.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an inquiry and the facts will soon be clear, he added.
Political Rivalry and Opposition Demand
Notably, the Vikhe Patil family and the Pawar family have traditionally been at loggerheads in western Maharashtra politics.
On the Opposition's demand that Ajit Pawar should resign, however, he said the Opposition does not have anything else to do except for seeking resignations.
Land Deal Details and FIR
The controversy pertains to the alleged illegal sale of 40 acres of government land in Pune's Mundhwa area, reportedly worth around Rs 1,800 crore, which Opposition leaders claim was purchased by a company linked to Ajit Pawar's son Parth for only Rs 300 crore.
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While an FIR was registered on Thursday against three persons including one of the partners in the company and a government official for causing loss to the exchequer, Ajit Pawar denied any connection with the transaction.
He had heard of the matter a few months ago and made it clear that he would not tolerate any wrongdoing, he said.
(Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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