2G scam: Uddhav Thackeray flays RR Patil over Shahid Balwa slur

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray is livid over home minister RR Patil’s allegation against him. Thackeray mocked Patil by asking if he had taken an agency to collect rent for the journeys in Shahid Balwa’s plane.  

Patil has alleged that Thackeray travelled with 2G scam accused and DB Realty promoter Balwa in his plane.     

“There is no need for a special inquiry of the relations between Shahid Balwa, Vinod Goenka and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The entire world knows the relations between Goenka and Pawar. Goenka and Balwa reached to the status of buying planes and flying around because of Pawar. He (Pawar) is the only reason because of whom Balwa and Goenka got the contract of redevelopment of the government workers’ colony at Bandra — it also includes several land deals, hotels of Balwa,” alleged Thackeray.   

The Sena leader also alleged that the home department is behind various SRA schemes and land deals in the city going in favour of Balwa and Goenka. “The home minister seem to have minute details of who has travelled in Balwa’s plane and whether that person has paid the rent for it or not.

Unfortunately, he did not have any idea about the terrorist attack on Mumbai, and because of this Kasab and his gang walked into the Taj, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and killed more than 200 innocent people. If he had kept all the details of Kasab’s gang, just the way he knows about Balwa’s plane, many lives could have been saved,” said Thackeray.