Maharashtra state assembly's monsoon session is scheduled to begin from July 18.
The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have decided to raise the issue of induction of corrupt and tainted ministers during the recent cabinet reshuffle, in the upcoming Maharashtra state assembly's monsoon session, scheduled to start from July 18.
The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) and NCP held a joint meeting recently, where leaders from both parties chalked out a strategy to raise the issue.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said whenever the issue of corruption came up, BJP always took the high moral ground. "I was surprised when Fadnavis inducted corrupt faces in his cabinet. Most of the inducted ministers are facing grave corruption charges. BJP claims it is a party with a difference. But the current induction has exposed them," he said.
Malik further asked why the party asked its senior leader Eknath Khadse to resign on the basis of allegations only.
"Most allegations against these inducted ministers have been proven. Still, Fadnavis went ahead and took them in his cabinet. We are going to raise this issue in the upcoming monsoon session and put a list of ministers and their charges before the House," said a Congress leader.
Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said the chief minister was protecting corrupt ministers. "I had earlier requested Fadnavis to not induct corrupt ministers. He still went ahead. Now, how can we expect a corruption-free government? Most ministers are facing serious charges. How will people get justice from these tainted ministers?" rued the leader.
Meanwhile, Right To Information (RTI) activist Anil Galgali said the chief minister was always cautious about his image. "He is known as Mr Clean. Now his ministers are facing corruption charges. People understand the hypocrisy. We never expected this from a leader like Fadnavis. It shows they are not any different from Congress," he said.
Chief minister Fadnavis remained unavailable for comments, as he was in Russia on an official tour. Congress spokesperson Raju Waghmare said they have collected all corruption-related documents of these recently inducted ministers. "Our leaders will submit them to speaker," he said.
Ministers facing charges
1. Jaikumar Rawal: Cabinet minister for self-employment and tourism. Facing charges of submitting fake documents, showing that he had planted pomegranate trees that got damaged in a hailstorm. He received a compensation of over Rs one crore from the state government for this damage.
2. Gulabrao Patil: Sena minister for co-operatives. He was recently jailed for a day for forging documents and copying dead people's signatures in one of the school trust general body meetings. Besides, he has been facing 13 various grave cases of cheating and threatening government officials.
3. Ravindra Chavan: BJP minister for sports, medical education, food and civil supplies, IT. An atrocity case has been filed against him. Reportedly, in one of his speeches, he called Dalit people and farmers pigs.
4. Subhas Deshmukh: BJP minister for industries and mining. As director of a sugar factory, he took a loan on farmers' names without their consent. Farmers were surprised when they received defaulter notices from banks. A cheating case has been filed against him.
5. Arjun Khotkar: Sena minister for textiles and animal husbandry. His charges include threatening government employees and obstructing their work.
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