I submitted resignation on July 5: Rane

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, in the news for his "threat" to quit the Vilasrao Deshmukh cabinet over land allotment to Videocon at "throwaway" prices, on Tuesday said he had sent his resignation to the party leadership on July 5.
    
"I submitted my resignation on July 5. No other inferences should be drawn to the resignation," Rane said.
    
The clarification of the date of resignation is being seen as the former Shiv Sainik's attempt to delink himself from the Videocon controversy.
    
Immediately after the Cabinet approved 250-acre Cidco land in Navi Mumbai for Videocon's TFT-LCD project on August five, Rane convened a press conference to make public his displeasure over the land allotment for "around Rs 300 crore whereas the land price is around Rs 3,000 crore".
    
AICC general secretary Margaret Alva had said here on Monday that she would be meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday on the issue, adding that both Rane and Deshmukh would also be present.
    
However, Deshmukh was in Mumbai, attending a meeting with Cidco officials on another piece of land. Rane also announced that he would not go to Delhi unless summoned by the party high command.