Irrigation scam: AAP demands dismissal of Ajit Pawar

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today demanded the immediate dismissal of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for his alleged role into the irrigation scam and sought an impartial judicial inquiry into the matter.

"The Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) reports and the expose of the kickbacks by Mahalakshmi Infraprojects leave no more room for Ajit Pawar to continue as deputy chief minister," AAP spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon told reporters here.

"Maharashtra is reeling under a drought that is the direct consequence of ill-devised projects which have not only bled our exchequer dry, but also our soil, draining it of ground water," she said.

There has been a Rs27,000-crore escalation in irrigation projects, when the original budget was Rs7,000 crore, Menon said.

The AAP leader claimed that there was "complete collusion" among all parties and urged the people of the state to boycott corrupt politicians.