Sena takes a dig at BJP; says should have ordered probe against Bhujbal earlier

Mumbai: In an apparent jibe at the BJP, Shiv Sena on Thursday said the new Maharashtra government should have ordered a probe into NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal's "misdoings" soon after it came to power without waiting for court orders.

The BJP ally alleged that Bhujbal's "shady business" had started when he was in Sena which led to his departure from the party and said there was "nothing surprising" in the alleged huge unaccounted wealth being unearthed from the former state PWD minister's possession.

"There has been unlimited wealth found with Bhujbal when raids were conducted at his properties. What is surprising in this? Only when the matter went to court, were these cases registered. "The truth is there was no need for the court to intervene. The new government, after coming to power, should have immediately ordered a probe into financial irregularities (of Bhujbal) which it didn't," Sena said in an editorial in mouthpiece 'Saamana'. It alleged "irregularities" worth thousands of crores of rupees have come to light after Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted searches at Bhujbal's various properties, adding that amassing such a huge sum of wealth was not possible only through the Maharashtra Sadan scam. "Bhujbal had started his shady businesses when he was in Shiv Sena. But, since there is no place for such businesses in Sena, he had to leave the party and go to the Pawars," it alleged.

Bhujbal, an OBC leader and former mayor, was the sole Sena MLA in 1985 and was known for his aggression. He had quit Shiv Sena with 17 MLAs in December 1991 after Sena leader Manohar Joshi was made the leader of the opposition, overriding his claim. Bhujbal had claimed that his decision was also spurred by Sena's opposition to the Mandal Commission. He had first joined Congress after quitting Sena, and later joined Sharad Pawar when he founded NCP.

The Enforcement Directorate, on Wednesday, registered two Economic Case Information Reports (ECIR) against Bhujbal and others under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act.