Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil demands removal of 'tainted' ministers

The state assembly was adjourned twice on Wednesday during Zero Hour over the issue of allegation by leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil that tainted MLAs have been made ministers. Vikhe-Patil demanded removing such tainted ministers from the state cabinet.

Soon after the Question Hour was over, Vikhe-Patil raised the issue of tainted ministers and tried to move an adjournment motion. His motion was rejected by the chair.

While speaking to ministers, Vikhe-Patil said despite the fact that names of Sambhaji Patil-Nilangekar and Jaikumar Rawal had already figured in charge sheets of CBI and CID, respectively, they were inducted as ministers. He said MLA Ravindra Chavan, who made a controversial statement comparing Dalits with pigs, was also made a minister. Such actions would bring down the stature of the state assembly, he added.

Vikhe-Patil also said that there was a scam of Rs16 crore in Dadasaheb Rawal Cooperative Bank in which Rawal was director. After allegations of disbursement of loans to his own relatives, Rawal's name was included in the charge sheet filed by the CID. In a similar case, the name of Patil-Nilangekar had figured in a CBI charge sheet, Vikhe-Patil said, adding that these were valid reasons for him to seek immediate removal of tainted ministers.