File Photo: Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.
After the Maharashtra Cabinet recommended to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao that he grant sanction to CBI to prosecute Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam, the former Chief Minister today alleged that the BJP was pressurising the probe agency to implicate him in the high-profile case.
The CBI had approached the Governor seeking sanction to prosecute Mr Chavan after it got "fresh evidence" against him in the case, following which Mr Rao wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to elicit the opinion of his Council of Ministers.
"Filing of FIR has already taken place. The issue now is limited to state cabinet recommending to the governor that permission for prosecution be given," he said.
"BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has made baseless allegations. He is not a legal expert. He has always done this," Mr Chavan said.
"He made baseless allegations that it was Rahul Gandhi who ensured that the then governor didn't grant sanction for prosecution. Mr Somaiya should give proof of Rahuljis involvement in this," he added.
"Mr Somaiya is not an astrologer to claim that the Governor will take such and such action. The Governor is a constitutional authority. What new has happened after the then governor refused to grant permission to prosecute me? CBI is under BJP's pressure," Mr Chavan said.
"BJP's attempt is to ensure that there is no fair investigation in the case. This is a case of political vendetta going on in the country by some BJP leaders. Be it Oommen Chandy or Digvijay Singh, BJP wants to target Congress leaders," he said.
"We won't be cowed down by such attempts. We will continue to highlight corruption by BJP government. CBI has no connection with the Adarsh Commission report," he said.
"I will take legal opinion on this issue and proceed accordingly. Why is there a U-turn (by CBI) after change of government. The pressure on CBI is so great that even court directives are overlooked," the MPCC president said.
Yesterday too, Mr Chavan, a Lok Sabha member from Nanded in Maharashtra, had alleged that the CBI is being misused against the Congress.
Mr Chavan, who had to resign as Chief Minister after the scam surfaced in 2010, was among the 12 persons charge-sheeted by the probe agency in connection with the case.
CBI had alleged that Mr Chavan suggested inclusion of civilian members in Adarsh Housing Society meant for war veterans and widows of defence personnel, to secure flats for his relatives in the plush complex, situated at Colaba in south Mumbai.
In December 2013, the then Governor Sankaranarayanan had refused sanction to CBI to prosecute Mr Chavan in the Adarsh housing scam, leaving the agency with no choice but to close the case against him.