A fresh political storm has engulfed Maharashtra after allegations surfaced linking Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, to suspected irregularities in a Rs 1,800-crore land deal in Pune prompting sharp opposition attacks, a government probe, and a fiery intervention by activist Anjali Damania, who was barred from inspecting the disputed site and has now demanded Ajit Pawar’s resignation.
Anjali Damania arrived in Pune’s Mundhwa area on Tuesday to inspect the disputed land and she was prevented from entering the site. Following the obstruction, Damania announced that she would be holding a major press conference tomorrow to reveal “big details” about the case.
“I never speak without understanding a matter thoroughly. I came to Mundhwa to meet officials and gather information about exactly where the land is located, its current status, and what is happening there,” Damania said. “But when I reached the spot, I was told I could not enter without permission. I then called the director of the Botanical Garden, but he spoke extremely rudely. I will now gather more information from the authorities and hold a major press conference tomorrow,” she warned.
Damania further claimed that the committee report on the Mundhwa land issue is expected by this afternoon. “This land was allotted to the Botanical Garden for research purposes. But how much research is actually being done there? That is what we wanted to see. Yet, we were not allowed inside,” she added.
Targeting Ajit Pawar directly, Damania questioned the legality of his role in scrapping the controversial deal. “Who is Ajit Pawar to cancel this land transaction? He has no legal authority to do so. First, we were told that the deal would be cancelled by returning Rs 21 crore. Then Minister Bawankule said the government didn’t want the money, only the cancellation. After that, there were reports that the deal would be cancelled after paying Rs 42 crore. But legally, neither Ajit Pawar nor Devendra Fadnavis nor even Prime Minister Modi has the authority to cancel this deal,” she said.
Damania added that if the government proceeds with cancelling the transaction, she will challenge the move in the High Court. “I will present more facts in tomorrow’s press conference. Anyone who values public trust resigns immediately when such serious allegations arise. Ajit Pawar had resigned during the irrigation scam. He must resign now as well,” Damania demanded.
