Adarsh: Maha recommends Guv to allow CBI to prosecute Chavan

The Maharashtra Cabinet has recommended to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao that he grants sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam case, a move which the Congress leader dubbed as “vendetta” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.

The CBI had approached the Maharashtra Governor, seeking sanction to prosecute Chavan after it got “fresh evidence” against him in the case, following which Rao wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to elicit the opinion of his Council of Ministers. “After the Governor asked for the opinion of the Council of Ministers, the Cabinet, little over a week ago, unanimously decided to recommend him to allow the CBI to prosecute Chavan,” said a Cabinet minister, requesting anonymity. 

Chavan termed it as a “conspiracy” of the BJP against the Congress. “This is a typical case of vendetta by the BJP government against Congress leaders who have been criticising it,” Chavan said.

“We have been raising issues they are not comfortable with like its performance, price rise, inflation, farmers’ suicide and we will continue doing that. Their (BJP leaders’) attitude is not new to us. When the previous Governor (K Sankaranarayanan) had declined sanction for prosecution after consulting...the Solicitor General, on what ground has the permission been granted now,” Chavan asked.