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| Edited By: |Source: DNA |Updated: Oct 18, 2012, 04:46 PM IST
YP Singh slams Kejriwal
Former IPS officer YP Singh on Thursday slammed India Against Corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal for his selective exposures against politicians and alleged that the erstwhile Team Anna member is using the name of IAC for his personal political motives.
Courtesy: Zee news
Had expected Kejriwal to expose the scam of Lavasa
On his timing of his allegations of quid pro quo in case of the Lavasa Hill City, Singh said he expected India Against Corruption (IAC) activist Arvind Kejriwal to make some startling revelations earlier on Wednesday, "But when Kejriwal started to talk about Gadkari, I was shocked how he could overlook the big political scam of Lavasa," said Singh.
"I am a lawyer, and I expect Kejriwal to come forward and tell me to take up the case...Unlike Kejriwal, who does not believe in filing a case in court, I believe in action and accordingly filed a case. It was this case that put a stop to all work at Lavasa in 2011," said Singh.
'Pawar facilated governmment sanction'
"The Union Agriculture Minister and NCP strongman Sharad Pawar facilated governmment sanction on exploiting global FSI, owing to the hills and lakes in Lavasa," said Singh.
Government meeting in a guest house?
Questioning as to how a government meeting was organised in a private gues thouse, Singh asked, "Why and how did Sharad Pawar, who is the Union minister, manage to conduct a meeting of state officials in Ekanth guesthouse July 14, 2007?"
'Hazare wary of taking on Pawars'
"The meeting to facilitate the Lavasa hill city project though chaired by Maharashtra chief minister, was organised by Sharad Pawar using his political clout. Even social crusader Anna Hazare seems to be wary of taking on the Pawars," added Singh.
Land meant for valley development given for free?
According to Singh, nearly 348-acre land meant for the development of the Krishna Valley was gave almost free to a company in which Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule had a 21% share.
"The land belonged to Krishna Valley but was given on a platter to Sharad Pawar's daughter... Although IAS Ramesh Kumar had pointed out to the wrong nature of the deal, that the land can only be given for the betterment of the Krishna Valley, he was sidelined and the exposé was suppressed by then revenue minister Narayan Rane," claimed Singh
Kejriwal was a part of probe panel
Stating that Kejriwal knew of the quid pro quo in case of the Lavasa deal, Singh said, "In 2009, social activist Medha Patkar formed a committee to study the violations in the development of Lavasa hill city. I too was a part of the panel and so was Kejriwal. But I was surprised when he chose to expose Vadra and Gadkari rather than the Pawars."
Sharad Pawar hits back at YP Singh
Reacting to activist-lawyer YP Singh's charges of quid pro quo against the Pawar family, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said, "All hill stations in the country have been built by the British prior to India's Independence. Also, we have noticed that everytime a development project undertaken, the locals are often rehabilitated. To avoid this rehabilitation, the state of Maharashtra brought out the hill station policy
As for the meeting at a private guest house Ekaant in Lavasa, Pawar said, "It was the prerogative to choose the meeting as he wanted to see the project area."
Appreciative of the development work in Lavasa, Pawar said, "It is a pioneering work and it's been good attempt to build an ideal hill station. Today, many people land at Lavasa and stay there, and this includes former political columnist Arun Shourie."
"It would not be right to say more as the case is sub-judice," concluded Pawar.
In a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday, rights lawyer YP Singh declared an all-out war against what he called a quid pro quo by the powerful and politically powerful Pawar family of Maharashtra.