A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court sent former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal to Enforcement Directorate custody till 17 March. The decision comes after the 68-year-old was arrested in connection with the alleged scam in the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi.
Bhujbal’s arrest in connection with the money laundering case rocked Maharashtra Legislature on Tuesday. Protesting opposition Congress and NCP members alleged that it was “vendetta politics” of the BJP-led state government.
Bhujbal was produced before the court where ED counsel Hiten Venegaonkar said the former PWD minister did not cooperate when his statement was recorded by the agency on Monday.
For most of the questions put to him, his answer was ‘he doesn’t know’.Hiten Venegaonkar, ED counsel
Bhujbal was emotional while pleading innocence and his eyes became misty.
He told the court that he had not done anything wrong and that he was being framed as part of a conspiracy.
I have not done anything wrong. I have cooperated. I have been into social service for the past 50 years. When some questions were put to me (by ED), I genuinely said that I did not know, but still I was arrested.Chhagan Bhujbal, former Deputy CM, Maharashtra
Rejecting the opposition charge, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Legislative Assembly that Bhujbal’s arrest was not an act of vendetta and the ED had acted “only after concrete proof”. He also said, the state government has nothing to do with it. He said,
Should ED keep quiet if there has been corruption? We will not help those seeking to suppress scams. It is unfortunate that discussion in the House, instead of centering on drought situation, should be on this issue.Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister
The Assembly was adjourned four times and the opposition members walked out of the house while the Council was adjourned for the day following ruckus.
As the proceedings began in the House, opposition members started shouting slogans.
The Opposition members later staged a walkout from the House for the day, protesting the “vendetta politics” of the government.
As the Upper House assembled, the opposition members, via an adjournment motion, called for the House to set aside the day’s business and discuss the arrest.
Opposition Leader Dhananjay Munde, who moved the motion, held that Bhujbal was a former Deputy Chief Minister, a former LoP, an ex-member of the Council, and his arrest has had repercussions across the state.
People across the state are angry and are protesting over the manner in which he was arrested despite cooperating with the investigation agencies. It is thus imperative that all other business must be set aside and the House discuss the issue.Dhananjay Munde, Opposition leader
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