Adarsh: Governor nod to prosecute Ashok Chavan

Former chief minister calls it ruling BJP’s ‘vindictive attitude’

In a major setback to former chief minister Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday gave permission to the CBI to prosecute him in the Adarsh housing scam case. Chavan was forced to step down as chief minister in November 2010 after it was revealed that three of his kin — sister-in-law, mother-in-law and an uncle of his wife — owned flats in the 31-storey building at Colaba.

The state Congress chief, however, alleged the ruling BJP’s “vindictive attitude” was behind the governor’s grant of approval to the investigating agency, which is probing alleged malpractices in construction and allocation of flats in the high-rise, which was meant for army officers, war heroes and widows. “The grant of sanction for prosecution and the CBI’s decision to move the application has been done at the behest of the BJP,” he said. “There is no new evidence in the case. Before former governor [K Sankaranarayanan] denied sanction, he sought legal opinion from various experts including the solicitor general after scrutinising the CBI charge sheet. We will contest the decision.”

The move comes a couple of days after the enforcement directorate’s (ED) action against senior NCP leader Chaggan Bhujbal and his family in the Maharashtra Sadan case.

This has led to growing speculation in political circles that the BJP-led government is acting against its political opponents. The government, however, has denied any political motive terming the actions as a “natural follow up to investigations”.