BJP to seek Maha Guv's recall for refusing CBI plea on Chavan

Days after Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan turned down CBI's plea for prosecution of former chief minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan who is an accused in the Adarsh Housing scam, BJP today said it would consider demanding "recall" of governor for "ignoring" indictment of the senior Congress leader by a judicial panel.

"We want to know why the Governor did not sanction the CBI's request to prosecute Ashok Chavan?" BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said. Referring to the indictment of Chavan by the judicial panel, Prasad alleged the Governor did not accede the CBI's request to prosecute Chavan as he was "under pressure".

"Under whose pressure (did the Governor refuse the go-ahead). When there was clear findings against Chavan in the judicial commission report, then why was the consent not given by the Governor?" the senior BJP leader said.

"We will contemplate to recall the governor. The party will move to the president against inaction of governor in granting sanction (to CBI). We will expose murky involvement of Congress in the Adarsh scam," he added. Refusing the CBI request, the Governor had questioned the allegations levelled by the agency, saying it had failed to present any evidence against the Congress leader in its report.

Though the Governor had refused prosecution, a special court had earlier this month rejected the CBI's plea to drop Chavan's name from the list of accused in the Adarsh scam case. Alleging that the UPA government is the most corrupt government since Independence, Prasad said, "Congress is afraid of BJP and of Narendra Modi's popularity...Congress party patronises corruption and shields their leaders".

Prasad said the BJP would seek people's mandate on issues like unemployment, price rise, corruption and development in upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Prasad was here to attend a two-day meeting of BJP's "chargesheet committee" which would focus on drafting a chargesheet highlighting various scams and corruption under the UPA regime.

The meeting was presided over by deputy leader of BJP in Lok Sabha, Gopinath Munde and also attended by party spokesperson Minakshi Lekhi among other leaders.