Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday withdrew his support from controversial protégé Lalit Modi, the IPL Commissioner behind Minister of State Shashi Tharoor’s unceremonious exit from the Union Cabinet.
As political insinuations about the two NCP heavyweights’ — Pawar and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel — IPL involvement did the rounds, the Agriculture Minister had little option but distance himself from flamboyant Modi and his murky deals. It was alleged that sweat equity benefits were given to the son-in-law and daughter of the two leaders.
From money laundering through the Mauritius route to benami shares, Modi’s name is already donning allegations of all dark deeds imaginable.
Pawar could hardly allow the Moditaint to smear his reputation, especially with the Left-the Yadav trio demanding a JPC probe.
He also does not want anything to queer the pitch before he takes over the reins of ICC presidentship from David Morgan. “I am not dealing with this subject. I’m not a member of the IPL committee. I am not aware of the any BCCI meeting or impending decision.
I’ve not received any notice of the meeting, only read in the papers that such a meeting is scheduled for April 25,” a frowning Pawar said. But in no time, he was closeted with BCCI president Shashank Manohar at his official residence.
The Pawar-Manohar rendezvous happened close on the heels of his meeting with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P Chidambaram in Mukherjee’s Parliament chambers. Sources later confirmed that he was shown the findings from the IT raids in Modi’s offices and hideouts.
Modi will have to go to “clean up the system’’ was a forgone conclusion after that meeting. Meanwhile, the NCP launched a broadside against the Congress for launching a slander campaign against its leaders. “A section of it is spreading a slanderous campaign against me,’’ Praful Patel said. Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sula also put up a spirited defense, denying anyone in the Pawar-family was involved
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