The Congress' allegations of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' "blessings" to a government land deal in Navi Mumbai rocked...

The Congress' allegations of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' "blessings" to a government land deal in Navi Mumbai rocked the state assembly today, even as the chief minister rejected the charges. Members of the treasury benches demanded an apology from the opposition for leveling "baseless" allegations against the chief minister. However, the Congress members sought the resignation of Fadnavis and suspension of Question Hour to take up the land deal issue.

Amid the din, the House was adjourned four times and later for the day. Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam had earlier this week alleged that 24 acres of government land at Raigad in Navi Mumbai was given to a private builder, Manish Bhatija of Paradise Builders, for just Rs 3.6 crore, and claimed the transaction had "blessings" of Fadnavis. He claimed the builder was a business partner of BJP MLC Prasad Lad, who is a "blue-eyed boy" of Fadnavis.

The chief minister, however, rejected the allegations in the Lower House today saying the previous Congress-NCP coalition government had given powers to the additional collector to allot agricultural land to project-affected persons on ownership basis. During the previous government, 627 Koyna dam project- affected farmers were given 606 hectares of land, Fadnavis said, adding 200 farmers sold their land the same day after allocation.

Navi Mumbai land deal rocks Maha Assembly

"During the Congress-NCP government, the decision was taken to give additional district collector powers to allocate class-I agricultural land which can be sold to anybody," he said. In 1999, the land was allocated to project-affected persons on the basis of ownership and not lease, he said. "Did the file of allocation of 606 hectares come to you? Does this mean that you are responsible for sale of land by the project-affected farmers?," Fadnavis asked Prithviraj Chavan, former chief minister and sitting Congress MLA.

Chavan had also spoken about the land scam along with Nirupam at a press conference in Mumbai earlier this week. "The land does not belong to CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation). It is the agricultural land belonging to the state government which is given to project-affected persons for agricultural purpose only. The builder purchased it from eight farmers as agricultural land. During 15 years of the Congress-NCP rule, 200 farmers sold the land allocated to them," Fadnavis said.

"Whose resignation will you seek with retrospective effect-- Prithviraj Chavan, Ashok Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde or late Vilasrao Deshmukh (all former chief ministers)?" he asked Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. Fadnavis also asked Prithviraj Chavan to first verify the allegations before making them public. Targeting Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, the chief minister said, "Those who stay in glass houses should not throw stones at others. I do not stay in a glass house. There is no question of my resignation. Instead, you should resign for leveling baseless charges against me". 

Paradise Builders

Fadnavis also said he would order a judicial probe into the 200 cases of sale of land after allocation, and also the present case of 24 acres land being sold to a builder. He stressed on the need for a policy decision for rehabilitation of project-affected persons. "There is a need for new standard operating procedures. But the government will ensure there is no injustice to the Koyna dam project-affected persons as still 12 more applications (from farmers for land allocation) are pending," he said.

After Fadnavis completed his statement, Ram Kadam (BJP) sought an apology from Vikhe Patil and Prithviraj Chavan for leveling baseless allegations against the chief minister. As members of the treasury benches remained adamant on their demand for an apology, the House was adjourned twice. The House again witnessed in as the opposition leaders stood up and demanded that they are allowed to speak. The Speaker then again adjourned the House twice.

After the House reassembled, the ruckus over the issue continued and the Chair then adjourned the House for the day. Earlier, as soon as the House assembled for the day's proceedings and Speaker Haribhau Bagade called for the Question Hour, Vikhe Patil raised the issue of allegations of corruption in the land deal. He sought suspension of the Question Hour to take up a debate on the issue as well as through an adjournment notice. Bagade said he would allow the opposition to speak after the Question Hour. 

Prithviraj Chavan

"There is nothing to seek suspension of the Question Hour," he said. Vikhe Patil demanded the resignation of the chief minister on moral grounds over the Raigad land deal issue. "The needle of suspicion is towards the chief minister since he is also the urban development minister. The additional collector of Raigad cannot take such a decision without pressure from higher-ups," he alleged. Prithviraj Chavan added that whether it was the government's land or of CIDCO, Fadnavis cannot shrug off his responsibility.