Ashok Chavan's exit from Congress brought Adarsh housing society scam into limelight, says Uddhav Thackeray

Pic: PTI File

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray Tuesday hit out at former Congress leader and ex-Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, saying that instead of joining the BJP, he should have met farmers from the Marathwada region who are reeling under the impact of unseasonal rains and hailstorms.

According to newswire PTI, Thackeray said Chavan was part of the seat-sharing talks of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) till two days back, but joined the BJP against whom he was supposed to fight.

Chavan on Monday quit the Congress, the party he was associated with for nearly four decades. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Addressing a public rally at Sonai in Ahmednagar district, Thackeray said although the Adarsh Housing Society scam was a forgotten chapter, the latter's exit from the Congress has brought it back into limelight.

"Till two days back, he (Chavan) was sitting with us discussing seat-sharing. We never anticipated his exit (from Congress)...But now I see that he has switched and joined the party against whom we are supposed to fight," he said.

Thackeray said that a video clip shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the Adarsh Housing Society scam as an "insult of families of the martyrs" and mentioning Chavan's name. He said even Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised Chavan saying he was a "dealer and not a leader".

Chavan stepped down as the chief minister in 2010 for his alleged involvement in the Adarsh housing scam in Mumbai.

He is an accused in the Adarsh Housing Society scam wherein a 31-storey posh building in south Mumbai was constructed allegedly on land owned by the Defence Ministry without getting the requisite permissions and clearances.

"Today, both (BJP and Chavan) are scared. BJP is scared because it has made an announcement of clinching 400-plus (seats in the Lok Sabha polls). Today, those who are scared are joining the party, which is also scared," he claimed.

"I am sad that unseasonal rains and hailstorm have affected parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada. Chavan, instead of going to BJP, must have visited the farmlands of farmers who have been affected by hailstorms and unseasonal rains," he said.

He criticised the government for just conducting the 'panchnamas' (assessment) of crop damage instead of actually offering help.

"Only a farce of pancharamas is happening. People of the state, who are real panch (referees) will do the panchnama of this government's work in the election," he said.

The former chief minister accused the government of taking away projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat. (With inputs from PTI)