Opposition slams re-induction of NCP's Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra cabinet

The BJP opposition slammed the Maharashtra government on Thursday for re-inducting senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar into the cabinet and protested against the move.

Asking Pawar to confront the SIT probe, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Eknath Khadse said that he should return to the state cabinet only after being proved "innocent".

"If he has guts, then he should be ready for a SIT probe. If he is proved innocent, only then should he come back to the cabinet with respect," Khadse told PTI.

Pawar had said that he will return to the cabinet only after he comes out clean from the allegations, Khadse said.

Lambasting Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Khadse said that "It is really unfortunate that Chief Minister Chavan who calls himself clean has to re-induct Pawar due to NCP's pressure".

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena's group leader in the legislative assembly, Subhash Desai, said that Ajit Pawar is still not "free" of corruption charges.

"He is still not free of corruption charges. They (government) are fooling the people. It is a mere eye wash. The entire drama was enacted only to escape corruption charges," he said.