Ajit Pawar Claims Betrayal by Late RR Patil Over Irrigation Scam Inquiry
Background
Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has accused the late RR Patil, a former Home Minister, of betrayal. Pawar claims that Patil ordered an open inquiry into an alleged Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam, which he believes was unjustified.
Details of the Allegation
Speaking at a gathering in Sangli, Maharashtra, Pawar explained that the total expenditure of the irrigation department from the establishment of Maharashtra on May 1st until the date of the allegations was only Rs 42,000 crore. This amount included salaries and other expenses, making the alleged Rs 70,000 crore scam seem implausible to him.
Pawar stated that a file was prepared and sent to the home department, where RR Patil signed it, initiating an open inquiry against him. Pawar described this action as backstabbing and betrayal.
Political Consequences
Following these allegations, President’s rule was imposed in Maharashtra after the NCP withdrew support from Prithviraj Chavan’s government, leading to the collapse of the UPA government. The file for the inquiry was sent to the Governor, who refused to sign it, suggesting that the next government should handle it.
Current Situation
In 2014, when Devendra Fadnavis became Chief Minister, he showed Pawar the pending file for the inquiry, which had RR Patil’s signature. Pawar expressed disappointment, feeling betrayed by a colleague he had supported. Currently, Ajit Pawar is contesting elections from Baramati, facing a challenge from his nephew, Yugendra Pawar.
Doubts Revealed
Ajit Pawar -: Ajit Pawar is a politician from Maharashtra, a state in India. He is the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and belongs to a political family.
RR Patil -: RR Patil was a politician from Maharashtra who belonged to the Nationalist Congress Party. He was known for his work in law enforcement and rural development.
Irrigation Scam -: An irrigation scam refers to a situation where money meant for building and maintaining water systems for farming was allegedly misused or stolen. In this case, it was a big issue in Maharashtra involving a lot of money.
Rs 70,000 crore -: Rs 70,000 crore is a huge amount of money, equal to 700 billion rupees. It was the amount alleged to be involved in the irrigation scam.
President’s rule -: President’s rule is when the central government takes control of a state in India because the state government is unable to function properly. It happened in Maharashtra due to the political issues from the scam inquiry.
Nephew -: A nephew is the son of someone’s brother or sister. In this context, Ajit Pawar is contesting elections against his brother’s or sister’s son.
