Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday faced the heat in the State Assembly with the Opposition demanding an inquiry into accusations of rape against a Minister in the State Cabinet, and financial impropriety against Housing Minister Prakash Mehta.
While Mr. Fadnavis gave a clean chit to the Minister accused of rape, he ordered an inquiry into the allegation that Mr. Mehta extended financial favours of around ₹500-800 crore to a developer in a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project in Tardeo.
Nationalist Congress Party group leader Ajit Pawar raised the sexual harassment case in the Assembly without disclosing the Minister’s name. He said, “The woman should be given justice. As I did not give a notice, I cannot take the Minister’s name. But I do have a CD of her allegations and if needed I can show it to you in the chamber.” The Opposition said it will raise the issue again on Tuesday.
‘Pressured to back out’
Mr. Fadnavis and BJP MLA Eknath Khadse have claimed that the woman had withdrawn her complaint. Mr. Fadnavis said, “ She filed the complaint as she thought that the Minister was helping Prashant Jadhav, a man with whom she had a dispute.” When Congress MLA Prithviraj Chavan asked if the government would take action against the woman, Mr. Fadnavis said options would be considered based on progress in the case.
Meanwhile, a video has surfaced in which the woman claims that she was pressured to withdraw the complaint. The veracity of the video is being ascertained.
Mr. Chavan also asked the Assembly if Mr. Fadnavis was aware of the housing scam after it emerged that Mr. Mehta in a letter to the developer said that the matter had been ‘informed’ to the Chief Minister. Mr. Chavan said, “Both cases present a grim picture of the government. Is the CM transparent enough to order an inquiry or do the Ministers in State Cabinet bypass the CM?” NCP leader Jayant Patil also slammed the government for the alleged scam and asked if the Mr. Fadnavis was involved in it.
However, Mr. Mehta claimed said that he had not informed Mr. Fadnavis about the permission extended to the developer. However, after repeated demands from the Opposition, Mr. Fadnavis announced that an inquiry would be initiated against the Minister.
Mr. Fadnavis said, “I was not informed of the matter. I must inform the House that all undue permissions granted to the developer have been suspended. An inquiry will be conducted and Opposition leaders will be made part of it.”
