Adarsh scam: Chavan faces challenge to restore Mr Clean image

Rahul Gandhi has said there was no question of protecting anybody indicted by panel that probed Adarsh scam

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is in a tight spot after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked the state government to review its decision to reject the judicial commission's report on the Adarsh housing society scam.

Rahul’s advice to the Maharashtra government is also expected to increase the tension between the ruling Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Reacting to the state government’s decision to reject the commission’s report, Gandhi said there was no question of protecting anybody. The development is bad news for former chief ministers Sushilkumar Shinde, Ashok Chavan and Shiivajirao Patil-Nilangekar against whom the commission had passed strong strictures of showing patronage.

Ashok Chavan, one of the 13 accused against whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed Charge Sheet, had resigned in November 2010 after the scam was exposed. He recently received partial relief after Governor K Sankaranarayanan rejected the CBI's plea to prosecute him in connection with Adarsh scam.

This apart, about six bureaucrats are expected to face action for quid pro quo while  the government will have to initiate disciplinary action against 12 officials for breach of Service Conduct Rules.  The government will also have to trace 22 benami transactions and initiate action against 25 of the 103 members who are deemed ineligible.

Rahul's scathing observation comes after BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had slammed the state government's move to reject the report.  Modi had said that on the one hand, they (Congress)  reject the Adarsh report, and on the other, they lecture on freeing India of corruption and take credit for the Lokpal bill."

Furthermore, Congress party's co-partner NCP leader and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar targeted Chavan saying the decision was taken by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who heads the state cabinet.

In his reaction, a visibly shaken Chavan announced that he would consult his colleagues.

However, the state party spokesman Ratnakar Mahajan told Business Standard '' In view of the directives from the Congress vice president, the state government will have to review its decision. Chief Minister will have to go back to the cabinet to take an appropriate decision. We are sure he will do so at the earliest.''

On the other hand, Rahul's move to distance himself from the state government's decision came quite handy for the opposition parties to step up its attack. BJP's leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Vinod Tawde spared no time to demand Chavan's resignation.

Shiv Sena group leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly said that Rahul should direct Prithviraj Chavan to clear prosecution of his predecessor Ashok Chavan by CBI.

''Besides, Rahul should also ask Chavan to lodge FIR against politicians and bureaucrats named in the judicial commission's report. The state government should launch CID inquiry into the benami transactions by which flats are occupied in Adarsh society,'' he added.