In an unexpected move, Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan supported a demand made by a BJP legislator to inquire into the years old Telgi stamp scam with which NCP leader and former home minister Chhagan Bhujbal allegedly had links. Bhujbal at present is in custody of the enforcement directorate (ED) for his alleged involvement in a money laundering scam.
During calling attention motion in the Assembly, BJP legislator Sardar Tara Singh had raised the issue of fake stamp papers cases recently nabbed by the police in Navi Mumbai and Thane. Another legislator from BJP, Anil Gote, who was arrested as an accused in connection with the Telgi scam and later acquitted, recalled the matter and demanded that the government should explain if any inquiry was conducted in it.
“Stamp papers worth about Rs 3,000 crore were recovered from Telgi in Bhiwandi of which 70 per cent were genuine. The stamp papers were then printed by Bharat Prabhuti Mudranalay. Why was the matter not inquired Stamp papers worth a few crore rupees were also recovered from the then home minister’s Nashik bungalow. What inquiry was conducted in that ,” Mr Gote said trying to rope in Bhujbal’s name in the Telgi scam again. Bhujbal was home minister when the scam was exposed.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the calling attention motion was not related to the Telgi scam and has very limited scope. “I do not have any updates on the question. The issue raised by the legislators earlier has limited scope. I cannot answer the issue,” Mr Fadnavis said.
However, Mr Chavan got up and supported the demand made by Mr Gote. “What the member is saying is correct and the government should give information on the issue. The calling attention motion should be kept reserved till the government answers the issue,” Mr Chavan said targeting NCP.
Mr Chavan’s remark was completely unexpected by the NCP members, as Congress and NCP were together in defending Bhujbal after he was arrested on Monday in the money laundering case.
