Mumbai: Opposition members staged a demonstration in the Maharashtra legislature complex here on Wednesday and reiterated their demand for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's resignation over the issue of allotment of government land in Nagpur when he was the urban development minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Nagpur-based Social activist Anil Vadpalliwar has filed a plea in the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court over the allotment of plots in Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT). The submitted report revealed that as many as 113 public-use lands had been misused.
On Wednesday, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajit Pawar, Danve, Congress legislator Nana Patole and other MVA leaders staged a demonstration over the NIT land allotment row and demanded the resignation of CM Shinde.
BJP legislators Pravin Darekar, Gopichand Padalkar, Shweta Mahale and Shinde camp members also staged a demonstration over the alleged insult of saints by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Andhare. The ruling alliance members raised slogans against former CM Uddhav Thackeray.
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court last week ordered status quo on a decision taken by Shinde, when he was the urban development minister in the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, over the allotment of land meant for slum dwellers to private persons.
Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council Ambadas Danve on Tuesday said the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), which comes under the urban development department, had reserved a plot measuring 4.5 acres in the city for the construction of houses for rehabilitation of slum dwellers.
"However, Shinde had issued an order to hand over the land parcel to 16 persons at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. The current cost of the land is Rs 83 crore," he claimed. Members of the opposition parties on Tuesday also demanded Shinde's resignation, but the CM denied any wrongdoing and rejected the demand to quit. (with Agency inputs)
