A former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Vijaykumar Gavit also says his new party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hand in glow with Congress.
Special Correspondent
VIJAYKUMAR Gavit, the former NCP minister in Maharashtra, is seen as a burden in BJP as the latter is not ready to “purify” him from the charges of graft. A suffocated Gavit alleged that some BJP leaders from his Nandurbar district are working in tandem with Congress to corner him.
Speaking to ABI (abinet.org) Gavit said, “I am the victim of Congress’ vendetta politics,” Gavit said.” The Congressmen from time and again tried to create hurdles in my way because I have succeeded in making Nandurbar free of Congress. Now, some leaders from BJP also have joined them.”
The NCP had expelled Gavit after his daughter Heena got a BJP ticket for Look Sabha election in Nandurbar. Gavit stands accused for amassing disproportionate assets and nepotism in deciding beneficiaries under Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojna (SGNY). He joined BJP later and got elected as the party’s first MLA in Nandurbar.
“A NCP minister had told me that (then Chief Minister) Prithviraj Chavan had engineered an enquiry against me in the SGNY. Chavan was interested in the case since he was Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and was in a position to instruct the CBI,” Gavit alleged.
He claimed that a handful of disqualified people were distributed Rs 4 lakh in Nandurbar when he was a minister in 1997. “An enquiry by the state government stated that it was the Tehsildar’s fault when he cleared disqualified people’s names for grant. Moreover, they returned the money so there was no loss to the government.”
Gavit claimed that Chavan decided not to pursue the case after his RTI query revealed that such cases were reported in every district. “At least 40 MLAs, mostly from Congress, five ministers, one former Governor and two former CMs were in direct line of fire in these cases. When I brought this to fore Chavan backed out,” Gavit said.
He claimed that he was not running from any enquiry. “The Income Tax (I-T) Department and Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officers call me for enquiry at the same time. I am planning to inform this reality to party seniors in an attempt to change their view point,” Gavit said.
Chavan could not be contacted for this comment despite several attempts.