Mumbai:
Appealing Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to accept the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday also demanded sacking of state Water Resource Minister Sunil Tatkare.
He also said that India Against Corruption would take to the streets if Vijay Pandhare, Chief Engineer in state irrigation department, who blew whistle on the alleged irrigation scam, was harassed.
"Chavan is going through a test at the moment. He is facing a lot of pressure. The question is will he succumb to pressure and save his government by not accepting Ajit Pawar's resignation, or will he accept the resignation and pass the test," Mr Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai.
"His (Pawar's) resignation should be accepted, even if the Chief Minister is facing pressure from (Congress) High Command (not to accept it)."
"Even Tatkare should be asked to resign as his name has surfaced in the irrigation scam," said Mr Kejriwal, the former Team Anna member. Both Mr Pawar and Mr Tatkare belong to NCP.
Mr Kejriwal also said that resigning was not equivalent to undergoing a punishment. "They are exerting pressure by submitting resignations...they are blackmailing the people in the country. Resignation is not a punishment," he said.
Mr Kejriwal alleged that both CBI and state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) were controlled by the government.
"Scams take place but nobody goes to jail. Instead they are granted bail. Even in this current scam of Rs 70,000 crore, who will investigate? Both CBI and ACB are in the hands of the government."