After conducting income tax raids on businesses owned by his relatives and associates earlier this month, Deputy Chief Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Thursday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegations that he had visited Satara. had bought. Jarandeshwar Sugar Factory through shell companies.
Mr Pawar said that he has data of around 60-70 sugar mills being bought by builders, politicians, big farmers and he will soon reveal it in a press conference.
“It is not only about the Jarandeshwar factory but I have all the records of other factories which are being sold and bought in the state and I will reveal the same in a detailed press conference in Pune tomorrow. The number of such factories is 60-70… I will give information about how many factories in the state were sold from the beginning, at what price and during whose tenure.’
Taking a dig at the opposition’s attempts to target him, Pawar said he has been active in Maharashtra politics since 1990 and the people of the state know very well that he is not dishonest.
“The whole of Maharashtra knows me and I am not dishonest and I will never lie… There is no dishonesty in our blood,” said Mr Pawar, who is also Pune’s guardian minister.
At the time of the IT raid, Mr Pawar said he was saddened that officials were raiding his sisters’ homes in Pune and Kolhapur, while promising that he would talk in detail once the officers left.
Somaiya’s visit
Earlier on Wednesday, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya appeared outside the Enforcement Directorate’s regional office in south Mumbai to present more details about alleged financial irregularities in businesses linked to Mr. Pawar.
NCP workers staged a sit-in against him and the BJP and demanded a status report on the complaints lodged against the four BJP leaders.