Reveal ‘shocking’ info: Congress to Eknath Khadse

The Congress on Thursday asked former former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse to reveal the information he had without worrying about “the country getting shocked”.

Mr Khadse, who had to resign because of allegations of corruption against him, has claimed that there was a conspiracy against him and if he revealed the information that he had, it would “shock the nation”.

While addressing a group of his supporters in his home constituency in Jalgaon on Wednesday evening, Mr Khadse indicated that he was the victim of internal politics of the BJP. “Though I have resigned in the wake of allegations against me, if I opened my mouth, the entire country will shake,” he said.

Mr Khadse’s comments evoked response from the opposition Congress and the NCP. Congress leader and leader of opposition in the Legislative Council Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said, “Mr Khadse should not conceal the information that he claims will shake the nation because hiding that information is not in the interest of the country and so he must reveal it to the people. If he maintains silence even after having some explosive information, then it will lead to another question as to what is he going to gain by hiding that information.”

Mr Khadse, who was holding several key portfolios, including revenue, in the state Cabinet, had resigned earlier this month over a series of allegations, including irregularities in a land deal and allegedly receiving calls on his mobile from a landline number of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan. Subsequently, the police gave him a clean chit in connection with the alleged calls from Dawood while a judicial probe into the allegations of land grabbing is still pending.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “Mr Khadse has always been saying he does not speak without valid proof. Today, when he says he has information, we have no reason to disbelieve that he is talking about something very serious that he has got his hands on, either through his conversations with Dawood or somebody else.”

Mr Khadse also claimed that he played a major role in snapping ties with Shiv Sena prior to state Assembly polls, because of which Devendra Fadnavis became the CM. “Had we not broken the alliance, the chief minister would have been from Shiv Sena. I had taken the lead in getting the alliance broken due to which the CM today is of the BJP,” he said.