The NCP has started blaming Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan for targeting deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Less than 24 hours after Mr Ajit Pawar’s resignation, the NCP released a letter dated February 20, 2012 written by the chief engineer of the irrigation department, Mr Vijay Pandhare, addressed to the CM.
The copy of the letter has been given to the governor and the chief secretary of the state. In the letter, Mr Pandhare has extolled the CM as a true leader who can weed out corruption, especially in the irrigation department.
The party alleged that Mr Pandhare, who had written a letter to the governor and CM alleging irregularities and corruption in irrigation projects, is actually a Congressman and that the campaign against Mr Pawar is the Congress’ handiwork.
In his February 20 letter, Mr Pandhare has stated that the people have many hopes from the CM and he has called Mr Pawar a “taggya (ruffian)” minister and asked the CM to end his “dadagiri”.
Later, in May and September this year, Mr Pandhare wrote two more letters addressed to the governor and CM making allegations of corruption in irrigation projects in the state. While announcing his decision to resign from the state Cabinet on Tuesday, Mr Pawar had mentioned the letters written by Mr Pandhare. He had said that the media carried the news targeting him based on May and September letters. “The media should read the letter written by Pandhare in February to understand the truth,” he had said.
Another NCP leader said that the February letter projects Mr Pandhare as a Congress sympathiser and that the subsequent letters were pre-planned.