Adarsh: Maha Cabinet recommends Guv to allow CBI to prosecute

The Maharashtra Cabinet has recommended to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao that he grant sanction to CBI to prosecute former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam case, a move which the Congress leader dubbed as "vendetta" by the BJP-led government.
CBI had approached the Maharashtra Governor seeking sanction to prosecute Chavan after it got "fresh evidence" against him in the case, following which Rao wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to elicit the opinion of his Council of Ministers.
"After the Governor asked for the opinion of the Council of Ministers, the Cabinet, little over a week ago, unanimously decided to recommend him to allow the CBI to prosecute Chavan," a Cabinet minister told PTI, requesting anonymity.

Asked about the development, Chavan termed it as a "conspiracy" of the BJP against the Congress. "This is a typical case of vendetta by the BJP government against the Congress leaders who have been criticising it," Chavan said.
"We have been raising issues they are not comfortable with like its performance, price rise, inflation, farmers' suicide and we will continue to do that.
"Their (BJP leaders') attitude is not new to us. When the previous Governor (K Sankaranarayanan) had declined sanction for prosecution after consulting...The Solicitor General, on what ground has the permission been granted now," Chavan asked.

"The CBI is being misused against the Congress," Chavan, the Lok Sabha member from Nanded in Maharashtra, said.

Chavan, who had to resign as Chief Minister after the scam surfaced in 2010, was among the 12 persons charge-sheeted by the agency in connection with the case.
CBI had alleged that Chavan suggested inclusion of civilian members in Adarsh Housing Society meant for war veterans and widows of defence personnel, to secure flats for his relatives in the plush complex, situated at Colaba in south Mumbai.
In December 2013, the then Governor Sankaranarayanan had refused sanction to CBI to prosecute Chavan in the Adarsh housing scam, leaving the agency with no choice but to close the case against him.