PM Modi headed straight for Tihar jail: Ex-CM Chavan

Nagpur/Gadchiroli: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is headed straight for Tihar jail after demitting the office of PM on May 23, said former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday. Lampooning Modi, Chavan said he should tell the country what has he done in the last five years instead of pointing an accusing finger at the Congress’s 60 years in power.
Chavan also took potshots at Union minister Nitin Gadkari and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis while addressing a rally during Congress’s city Lok Sabha nominee Nana Patole at Tiranga Chowk on Sunday. Chavan said Modi must tell where is ‘sabka saath sabka Vikas’, while questioning Gadkari and Fadnavis on taking credit for Metro Rail and Mihan, which were actually initiated by Congress governments.

“Once Congress comes to power, probe will be done into Rafale and Samruddhi scams. Modi will be in Tihar jail after May 23,” he said. “We can’t match them (BJP) in advertisements. They spread lies about us and we lost election. They are taking credit for all our works. After May 23, Congress will restore actual Acche Din which the BJP took away after coming to power,” he said.

Nete will face probe for coop scam, says Prithviraj: Gadchiroli: Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency’s BJP candidate and sitting MP Ashok Nete would face inquiry for an alleged scam in his cooperative bank if Congress comes to power, assured former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan during a rally at Wadsa Desaiganj on Sunday.

Congress candidate Namdeo Usendi, prior to Chavan, had said in his speech his opponent was facing serious allegations of having duped several depositors to the tune of several crores who had parked their hard-earned money in his cooperative bank after being lured with sound returns.

Following Usendi’s allegations, Chavan, who visited the area for the first time, said Nete would face probe just like PM Narendra Modi in Rafael deal, referring it as ‘mother of all scams’.

Chavan said only 31% of votes were polled in favour of Modi and his party in 2014 while rest 69% were divided among other parties. “The parties which had divided the votes themselves have now joined hands against Modi,” he said.

The ex-CM also levelled allegations against Modi for having destroyed independent functioning of key agencies like CBI, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and other bodies.

Chavan also said the historic decision to empower the gram panchayats to decide on the bamboo rates and other related decisions in Gadchiroli was taken during Congress government. “Gondwana University too was our brainchild as we tried to lay the foundation of higher education in this district,” said the ex-CM claiming the tribal districts of Gadchiroli and Nandurbar always were among the top priorities when he was in the power. “Modi’s wrong farmer policy has pushed the community into abject misery,” he said.

“Modi tried to arrest the price rise by paying less to the farmers and selling their produce at cheaper rates in urban centres. Modi had gone to Africa to bring tur dal at cheaper rates leaving the local farmers agonized,” he said.

Chavan also lambasted BJP government at the Centre for stalling his attempt to seek information through RTI on farm loan waiver. “I had sought to know how much budget was allocated to the farmers and loans waived but government denied to part with the information,” he said.

The ex-CM also said he had faced several challenges in extending help to the farmers during drought which the incumbent government could not do. “Huge migration of the rural population to metros to find work and unemployment has become a trend now,’ he said.