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Ex-cop says Kejriwal selective in exposing politicians; IAC denies claim
Clean Media Correspondent
New Delhi, Oct 18 (CMC) After back-to-back press conferences accusing several top politicians of being behind scams, Arvind Kejriwal was on Thursday at the receiving end with his former aide and lawyer-activist YP Singh accusing him of suppressing the "Lavasa scandal" allegedly involving Sharad Pawar and his close relatives.
A former IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, Singh, who had earlier worked in concert with Kejriwal, came down heavily on the latter for not "exposing" Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya and nephew Ajit Pawar despite being in the know of his involvement in the scam.
He alleged that Ajit Pawar, former Maharashtra irrigation minister and nephew of Sharad Pawar, allotted 141 hectares (348 acres) of land belonging to Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation on a renewable lease of 30 years to the Lake City Corporation in 2002, violating a Supreme Court judgement.
The company which later came to be known as Lavasa Corporation, a subsidiary of Hindustan Construction Company, was allotted the land at a monthly rent of Rs. 23,000, Singh said.
Supriya Sule, now NCP MP from Baramati, and her husband Sadanand Sule, according to documents released by Singh, held 20.81% shares in the company. He alleged that these shares were sold and they made huge profits.
Kejriwal before the press meet said, "Singh is doing a good work and I respect him, why is he saying all of a sudden, I don't know."
Responding to Singh's remarks, IAC activist Manish Sisodia said they congratulate him on making these "revelations" and it is good if corrupt political bigshots are exposed.
"We don't exactly know why YP Singh is saying so that we did not reveal documents against Sharad Pawar. He is a very good friend of ours. There is nothing like this," he said.
Referring to Kejriwal's "expose" on BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday, he said, "The entire country was expecting something big and I was no exception. I expected him to expose Pawar but he raised a petty issue regarding Gadkari. Every day there are encroachments in villages in Maharashtra and district collectors allot land."
"He misinterpreted the facts in allotment of land to Gadkari and talked about it as if it was a big scam. He got it wrong on legal points. He probably felt that after his expose both Congress (because of Vadra episode) and BJP would get tainted in Delhi and voters would veer towards him (Kejriwal)," Singh said.
Singh said both he and Kejriwal were members of the People's Commission of Inquiry, a fact-finding committee on Lavasa set up by activist Medha Patkar.
"Kejriwal had almost 80% of information on the goings-on in Lavasa involving Pawar but he kept silent... probably because NCP is not important in Delhi. Also, because of his association with Anna Hazare, who has been soft on Pawar," he said.
He said even Hazare had got involved in the movement against Lavasa "but I was surprised when he did not utter a word against the project or Pawar during his agitations at Ramlila Ground and Jantar Mantar. I don't know why he has a soft corner for Pawar".
"The people and media have to assess whose scam is bigger...Vadra's or Pawar's, Gadkari's or Pawar's," he said.
He also castigated Kejriwal for not going to court as a follow up to his allegations against Vadra or Gadkari.
"Indian courts are impartial. Even if we are not successful in our initial attempts, we can secure justice by going in appeal. I don't know why they flinch from moving the court," he said.
Singh said he would file a complaint with the state anti-corruption bureau with details of the "scam" and role played by the individuals, including Sharad Pawar and his kin, in the first week of November.
"When formidable people like Kejriwal did not take it forward, we have decided to take it forward. We will assign overwhelming priority to it," he said.
IAC denied claims made by Singh that it had not revealed information of alleged land controversies related to union minister Sharad Pawar and complimented him for raising the issue.
IAC member Manish Sisodia said they had been raising issues of alleged land deals concerning Pawar. He said their main concern was exposing corruption.
"We compliment him. He has raised the issue point-by-point," Sisodia said.
Ex-cop says Kejriwal selective in exposing politicians; IAC denies claim
Clean Media Correspondent
New Delhi, Oct 18 (CMC) After back-to-back press conferences accusing several top politicians of being behind scams, Arvind Kejriwal was on Thursday at the receiving end with his former aide and lawyer-activist YP Singh accusing him of suppressing the "Lavasa scandal" allegedly involving Sharad Pawar and his close relatives.
A former IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, Singh, who had earlier worked in concert with Kejriwal, came down heavily on the latter for not "exposing" Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya and nephew Ajit Pawar despite being in the know of his involvement in the scam.
He alleged that Ajit Pawar, former Maharashtra irrigation minister and nephew of Sharad Pawar, allotted 141 hectares (348 acres) of land belonging to Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation on a renewable lease of 30 years to the Lake City Corporation in 2002, violating a Supreme Court judgement.
The company which later came to be known as Lavasa Corporation, a subsidiary of Hindustan Construction Company, was allotted the land at a monthly rent of Rs. 23,000, Singh said.
Supriya Sule, now NCP MP from Baramati, and her husband Sadanand Sule, according to documents released by Singh, held 20.81% shares in the company. He alleged that these shares were sold and they made huge profits.
Kejriwal before the press meet said, "Singh is doing a good work and I respect him, why is he saying all of a sudden, I don't know."
Responding to Singh's remarks, IAC activist Manish Sisodia said they congratulate him on making these "revelations" and it is good if corrupt political bigshots are exposed.
"We don't exactly know why YP Singh is saying so that we did not reveal documents against Sharad Pawar. He is a very good friend of ours. There is nothing like this," he said.
Referring to Kejriwal's "expose" on BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday, he said, "The entire country was expecting something big and I was no exception. I expected him to expose Pawar but he raised a petty issue regarding Gadkari. Every day there are encroachments in villages in Maharashtra and district collectors allot land."
"He misinterpreted the facts in allotment of land to Gadkari and talked about it as if it was a big scam. He got it wrong on legal points. He probably felt that after his expose both Congress (because of Vadra episode) and BJP would get tainted in Delhi and voters would veer towards him (Kejriwal)," Singh said.
Singh said both he and Kejriwal were members of the People's Commission of Inquiry, a fact-finding committee on Lavasa set up by activist Medha Patkar.
"Kejriwal had almost 80% of information on the goings-on in Lavasa involving Pawar but he kept silent... probably because NCP is not important in Delhi. Also, because of his association with Anna Hazare, who has been soft on Pawar," he said.
He said even Hazare had got involved in the movement against Lavasa "but I was surprised when he did not utter a word against the project or Pawar during his agitations at Ramlila Ground and Jantar Mantar. I don't know why he has a soft corner for Pawar".
"The people and media have to assess whose scam is bigger...Vadra's or Pawar's, Gadkari's or Pawar's," he said.
He also castigated Kejriwal for not going to court as a follow up to his allegations against Vadra or Gadkari.
"Indian courts are impartial. Even if we are not successful in our initial attempts, we can secure justice by going in appeal. I don't know why they flinch from moving the court," he said.
Singh said he would file a complaint with the state anti-corruption bureau with details of the "scam" and role played by the individuals, including Sharad Pawar and his kin, in the first week of November.
"When formidable people like Kejriwal did not take it forward, we have decided to take it forward. We will assign overwhelming priority to it," he said.
IAC denied claims made by Singh that it had not revealed information of alleged land controversies related to union minister Sharad Pawar and complimented him for raising the issue.
IAC member Manish Sisodia said they had been raising issues of alleged land deals concerning Pawar. He said their main concern was exposing corruption.
"We compliment him. He has raised the issue point-by-point," Sisodia said.
Kejariwal is not very clear in his endeavour...
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