BJP MLA accuses Bachchu Kadu of land grab, fund misuse; ready for probe, he says

Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) A BJP MLA from Maharashtra has accused Prahar Janshakti Party leader and former state minister Bachchu Kadu of grabbing land in Amravati district, an allegation he denied.

Hitting back, Kadu, who led a massive protest earlier this week for farm loan waiver, said the ruling party should launch a probe instead of levelling accusations.

In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Achalpur MLA Praveen Tayde claimed that Kadu had illegally acquired 72 acres of land along the Chandur Bazar–Paratwada Road at Kural Purna by purchasing plots meant for poor farmers at low rates.

“Kadu has built a lavish riverside residence and farmhouse in this area using extortion money and government funds when he was a minister during Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure,” Tayde alleged.

Demanding a “high-level” inquiry into what he called Kadu’s ‘Hawamahal’, the BJP legislator alleged that funds from the “gutka, sand and land mafias” were used to develop the property. Tayde also urged the state government to investigate the assets, related persons and organisations linked to Kadu.

Kadu told reporters on Saturday that he was open to any government inquiry.

“Let the government investigate me and find out whether I did something wrong. If I am guilty, put me in jail. You have all the probe agencies, including the ED, with you. Use them instead of making accusations,” Kadu said.

The Prahar Janshakti Party leader said such allegations were not new to him.

“From Lord Ram to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar, many great personalities have faced character assassination. I take these things as lessons and will not take them seriously,” Kadu added.

Tayde defeated Kadu in the 2024 assembly elections from Achalpur in Amravati district. Kadu had won the seat three times consecutively since 2009 as an independent candidate.

Meanwhile, Ravi Rana, an independent MLA from Amravati district who has supported the BJP, claimed that the state government has information about “Kadu’s activities, including his huge house and other properties”.

Despite being an ally then, Kadu had vehemently opposed Navneet Kaur Rana, MLA Rana’s wife and BJP candidate from Amravati, in last year’s Lok Sabha polls. Rana lost to the Congress’ Balwant Baswant Wankhade. PTI ND NR