Ajit Dada had worked with my father, won’t speak against him: RR Patil’s son

Pune, Oct 30 (PTI) Former home minister RR Patil might have ordered an open inquiry against NCP’s Ajit Pawar in an alleged multi-crore irrigation scam only to make “doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani”, his son Rohit Patil said on Wednesday.

He refused to attack the Maharashtra deputy chief minister, saying the NCP leader had worked with his father.

Ajit Pawar on Tuesday alleged that he was “backstabbed” by his close colleague RR Patil, referring to the probe. He claimed a file mentioning Patil’s remarks ordering an inquiry was shown to him by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis after he became chief minister in 2014.

Pawar made these remarks while addressing a rally for the NCP candidate Sanjay Kaka Patil who is in the fray against the late Patil’s son and NCP (SP) candidate Rohit from Tasgaon in Sangli district for the November 20 assembly elections.

Patil said his father, in the capacity as the home minister when the Congress-NCP combine was in power in the state, might have signed the file ordering the probe just to make “doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani” (to set things straight).

Ajit Pawar, who was the water resources development minister during that time, had faced allegations claiming irregularities of Rs 70,000 crore in an irrigation project.

“Dada (Ajit Pawar) is a senior leader and he had worked with my father. In fact, during the MVA government, we could bring development projects worth Rs 800 crore and Dada played a big role in that. I am grateful to him for that. That is why I won’t utter a single word against him,” he said.

Patil said his father had said in TV interviews that the irrigation department did not even have that kind of expense and questioned how there could be a scam worth that amount. “When such allegations are levelled today against his father, it would not be prudent to speak about them when the person is not alive,” he added.

Earlier, his senior party colleague and MP Supriya Sule slammed Ajit Pawar over the “insensitive” remarks and said she had apologised to RR Patil’s family over the comments.

She also attacked BJP leader Fadnavis saying it was he who had levelled the allegations. PTI SPK NR