RR Patil backstabbed me by ordering inquiry in purported irrigation scam: Pawar

During aMaharashtra Assembly election 2024 rally Ajit Pawar on Tuesday alleged that he was backstabbed by his close colleague and then home minister RR Patil who ordered an open inquiry against him in the alleged multicrore irrigation scam reported the PTIAjit Pawar claimed a file mentioning RR Patils remarks ordering an inquiry was shown to him by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis after he became chief minister in 2014Ajit Pawar made these claims while addressing a rally for the Nationalist Congress Party candidate Sanjay Kaka Patil who is in the fray against the late Patils son Rohit from Tasgaon in Sangli districtAllegations were levelled against me in an irrigation scam Attempts were made to defame me It was decided to level an allegation of Rs 70000 crore scam in an irrigation project The total expenditure of salaries was Rs 42000 crore in the project and allegation was made about irregularities of Rs 70000 crore Ajit Pawar claimed according to the PTIThe actual expenditure for the project amounted to Rs 43000 crore but a case was made to show that there was a scam of Rs 70000 crore Ajit Pawar saidAjit Pawar was Water Resources Development Minister during 19992009 when the CongressNCP combine was in power in Maharashtra He had also served as chairman of Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation which had cleared irrigation projects in which alleged irregularities were allegedA file was prepared and forwarded to the home department headed by R R Patil He approved an open inquiry against me and mentioned it in the file note This was a pure case of backstabbing I became very upset as he Patil was a close colleague he claimed the news agency reported on TuesdayThe Nationalist Congress Party undivided subsequently withdrew the support to the Prithviraj Chavanled government and the Presidents rule was imposed he saidThe then governor refused to sign on the file for open inquiry and stated that let the new CM sign it he claimedNotably Sharad Pawarled NCP withdrew the support to then Prithviraj Chavanled government in September 2014 following the announcement of breaking of ties with Congress just days ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024When the Devendra Fadanvisled government came to power he signed the file and later called me He said that the file was awaiting the CMs signature He told me that it was RR Patil who opened the inquiry and showed me his signature on the file I was very upset as he Patil was a close colleague Ajit Pawar claimed reported the PTINotably Maharashtras AntiCorruption Bureau ACB gave a clean chit to Ajit Pawar in the multicrore Vidarbha irrigation scam after the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government of the Shiv SenaNCPCongress was sworn in the state on November 28 2019Late RR Patil had served as the state home minister for a considerable time during the tenure of the CongressNCP governments from 2004 to 2014with PTI inputs