In a candid interaction with reporters in national capital New Delhi, Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minster of India's western Maharashtra state, defended himself over allegations of involvement in a major housing scam on Saturday (November 13).Prithviraj Chavan took over the reins of Maharashtra from Ashok Chavan, who was forced to resign a couple of days ago by Sonia Gandhi, the chief of federal ruling Congress party, due to his links with the Adarsh Housing Society scam in provincial capital Mumbai.
It was reported that Ashok Chavan's relations owned flats in the Adarsh Housing Society meant for war widows and armed forces veterans.
But latest media reports have also disclosed that one of the flats in the society belongs to Prithviraj Chavan, ruffling feathers within party circles.
Visibly miffed at being dragged into the simmering row, the newly appointed state chief asserted there was nothing illegal about him owning a flat in the controversial society.
"The fact is there is nothing to hide. The flat was taken by me in my name. It is not a 'benaami' (a land which is not mentioned under anyone's name) thing. It is under the existing guidelines of giving flats to Members of Parliament (lawmaker). I took it as a Member of Parliament. I do not think there is anything illegal about it. If there is anything illegal about it I will look into it. I have shown all my details," said Prithviraj Chavan.
The new state chief has the onerous task of salvaging the image of the party, which has taken a severe beating due to the Adarsh Housing Society scam.
However, Prithviraj Chavan maintained his government would support the inquiry by the federal probe agency to bring the guilty officials to book.
"There are some matters, some people have gone to court…there are cases. But we are just going by the CBI inquiry which is ordered. The CBI has already started working, they have already collected papers. It is not a departmental inquiry or something. It is a CBI inquiry," added Chavan.
The Adarsh Housing scam in western Maharashtra hogged headlines after it was revealed that some top serving officers from the armed forces and former chiefs were allotted units in the cooperative housing complex, flouting several Indian laws.
The flats were meant for disabled veterans and widows of the martyrs of the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan.
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