The Rajya Sabha on Monday took up a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address on the fourth day of Parliament’s ongoing Budget Session. Participating in the debate, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had kept crucial documents related to the irrigation scam with him and was carrying the file even while flying from Mumbai to Baramati.
During the debate, Raut launched a sharp attack on the Union government, the Election Commission of India, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Referring to Ajit Pawar, Raut said he was still in shock over recent developments and reminded the House that allegations of a ₹70,000 crore irrigation scam against Pawar were levelled by the BJP-led government itself.
“For two-and-a-half to three years, he was with you. The moment he joined your side, he suddenly became ‘pure’,” Raut remarked. He also recalled a statement allegedly made by Ajit Pawar on January 15, in which Pawar had claimed that the BJP too had benefited financially from the irrigation scam and that he possessed documentary evidence to prove it.
Raut alleged that just ten days after making that statement, Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash. He told the House that, to the best of his knowledge, Pawar always kept the file with him and had it in his possession even during his final flight from Mumbai to Baramati.
Demanding a judicial inquiry into the plane crash, Raut said the incident reminded him of the circumstances surrounding the death of Justice Loya. He also urged the government to develop the habit of listening to the Opposition and objected to repeated references to “my government” in the President’s Address, calling it contrary to the spirit of the Constitution.
Raut further alleged that the Election Commission was functioning like an “agent of the government” rather than as an independent constitutional authority. He claimed that the present government was “surrounded by corruption” and said the political culture had undergone a drastic change.
“Earlier, leaders were built through ideology and struggle. Now, elections are won and MPs and MLAs are bought,” he said, accusing the ruling side of engineering defections.
Concluding his speech, Raut described the current dispensation as hypocritical and alleged that it was in power through unconstitutional means, reiterating the Opposition’s demand for accountability and transparency.
