Ajit Pawar Alleges Betrayal in Rs 70,000 Crore Irrigation Scam Inquiry

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar accused late RR Patil of betrayal for ordering an inquiry into an alleged Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam. Pawar questioned the claims, citing total irrigation department expenses at Rs 42,000 crore. He recounts how the probe was initiated and later stalled.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has sensationally accused the late former Home Minister RR Patil of betraying him. Pawar claimed that Patil ordered an open inquiry into the alleged Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam, which he described as a stab in the back.

Addressing a gathering in Sangli, Pawar expressed disbelief over the allegations, explaining that Maharashtra's irrigation department had spent a total of Rs 42,000 crore since its inception, including salaries, making the scam claims implausible. He further criticized the initiation of the probe by RR Patil, suggesting it led to political upheaval.

Pawar recounted how, in 2014, the Fadnavis government brought the inquiry file directly to him, authored by Patil. Despite his disappointment, Pawar is forging ahead in the Baramati election, now challenged by his nephew Yugendra Pawar.

(With inputs from agencies.)