Pune: Things have taken a heated turn between former MLA and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar and Bharatiya Janata Party's Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol over the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Smarak Trust (SHNT) Jain Boarding House Row in Pune. Ex-MLA Dhangekar has now written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding Mohol's resignation as announced by him on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.
What's the Controversy?
The Jain Housing Board row in Pune centres on the controversial sale of the historic Jain Hostel and temple land in Model Colony to Gokhale Builders for ₹311 crore. The Jain community, alumni, and local leaders allege the deal violates the charity trust’s original mandate. They have said that the property was meant for educational and religious purposes and have opposed its sale for commercial redevelopment. The sale has triggered protests within the community.
Dhangekar became heavily involved after publicly demanding action against the deal and accusing Mohol of favouring the transaction. He alleged that Mohol had links with the builder. Mohol has denied involvement, claiming he exited the partnership before the sale. This has caused a political verbal bout between Mohol and Dhangekar.
What does Dhangekar say in the letter?
Dhangekar said on X, “On behalf of all Punekars, I'm writing a letter to PM Modi requesting cancellation of the Jain Boarding House transaction and a rigorous investigation into the matter. Starting on Monday, I will do an indefinite Dharna protest at the site with all Punekas. Many people have provided direct and concrete evidence that individuals and organisations in this deal are related to MP Mohol.” Dhangekar then provided the sequence of the controversy.
In the letter, Dhangekar has said his side of the story, saying how Mohol was reportedly involved in the land transaction. As the controversy continues, it's not appropriate for Mohol to be a union minister, Dhangekar wrote in the letter. Dhangekar also announced that he will be sending the letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and DCMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.
Mohol Denies Involvement, Calls Out Dhangekar
In another development, Pune MP Mohol visited the Jain Boarding House land site yesterday, and he had an interaction with the community. He denied his involvement and promised to find a solution. The Jain community members gheraoed Mohol and demanded action, and Mohol promised that he would take a role in this without bias.
Meanwhile, speaking about Dhangekar Mohol, he said, “Politically, many accusations happened. Many people went personal and tried to take advantage of this situation. They did this to cook their own political bread and to keep their political relevance. If I had done something wrong, I would have thought 100 times about coming to this place and would not have come. But I did, as I did nothing wrong.”
