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.
