Devendra Fadnavis attacks Maharashtra Govt over clean chit to Ajit Pawar

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday hit out at the state government over the issue of clean chit given to NCP leader Ajit Pawar in the alleged Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) scam.

Speaking to media about the affidavit submitted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court, Fadnavis said, "We do not accept the affidavit. It's an attempt to save the minister and implicate officials."

"No proofs have been submitted in the affidavit to negate things that were filed by the DG of ACB in 2018. No documents or interpretation has been given. This is a summary type affidavit," Fadnavis said.

He said, "I think even the court will not accept this. We too are planning to file an intervention in this regard if the government does not give clarification about the affidavit."

"The attempt to give clean chit seems to be well planned. On November 27 one affidavit was filed and now the government is giving a full clean chit. We have not given any clean chit to the Minister during our 80 hours government," he said.

"The DG today had clearly said that we prepared this affidavit on November 27 which was given by junior level officials and it was submitted by the DG today in the court. I resigned on November 26 as chief minister of Maharashtra and the affidavit was filed on November 27," he added.

The ACB has submitted another affidavit to the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court and given a clean chit to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar in the alleged Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) scam.

"As regards to the role of respondent number 7 (Ajit Pawar), no criminal liability is disclosed during the course of inquiry/investigation by the special investigation teams," the ACB said in the affidavit.