Criticizing the opponents of Chavan, Raj said that the controversial Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society in which several politicians, army and naval officers, bureaucrats and social workers were trapped, was in fact a well-planned strategy and a conspiracy to unsaddle the chief minister.

Lashing out at the media, Raj said, “The media should restrain themselves and not deliver a decision in the Adarsh housing scam, as investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will bring out the truth and clear all the facts in the case,” he said.

“I’m of the view that if the chief minister is found guilty after the inquiry, then action should be taken against him. But I feel that it’s not correct and proper to hold the chief minister guilty before the inquiry into the scam is completed. It’s not the business of the media to decide whether the Chief Minister Ashok Chavan should continue or be removed,” Raj added.

The media also came under attack from Ajit Pawar, nephew of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. Ajit, the state irrigation and energy minister, said, “The media cannot carry a trial into the scam. What were you (media) doing for all the 12 years? And why have you (media) now after these several years come forward to expose the wrong-doings in the Adarsh housing scam,” he questioned.

Not to be left behind, after the nephew, the uncle, Sharad Pawar too commented on the scam. Speaking to the media in Pandarpur in Solapur district, Pawar said, “We don’t have complete information about the Adarsh housing society before us. The state chief minister has stated that the land belongs to the Maharashtra government. If this is based on truth, then the situation is different and there is nothing illegal in it. But if the housing society land belongs to the Defense Ministry and reserved for the Kargil war widows, then this is a serious issue. Without knowing the actual facts, it would not be proper to speak on this issue.”

Pawar further said, “It is not yet known whether or not any illegal acts had taken place in the housing society issue. The true facts should come out in the open. The Congress leadership and senior Congress party leaders would study the issue and would deliver just and fair decision.

“The NCP is not interested to intervene in the internal matters of the Congress party in the housing scam. The NCP will only intervene in the issue when it is found that there has been misuse of power, or it is known that the housing society land belonged to the Defense Ministry and that there have been irregularities in it. It would then compel us to take a different stand.

“Today no such fact or records has come forth. Several times the government doles out government land to different sections of the society. And the chief minister and the revenue minister enjoy the rights and power to grant land to such sections of the society.”

Meanwhile the Indian Navy on Monday submitted its inquiry report in the housing scam to the Defense Ministry in New Delhi.