Mumbai: Maharashtra`s beleaguered urban development minister Bask Jadhav, who came under I-T scanner for organising lavish wedding of his children, on Tuesday said he would quit public life if proven guilty.
"I have not done anything wrong. If proven guilty, I will not only resign from my ministerial post but also quit public life," the NCP MLA from Chiplun in Ratnagiri district told reporters here.
He said he had given catering contract for the wedding to one Rakesh Shah who has nothing to do with irrigation projects as alleged by some people and the expenses of the wedding were borne by three families - his own and those of his daughter- in-law and son-in-law.
He said he had invited 15,000 people for the weddings of his children though a lot more people turned up.
"My life is an open book and I like to celebrate the happiness in my family with people of my constituency who have made me what I am today," he said.
Jadhav also said NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had the right to pull him up for the lavishness.
"What I did unintentionally was not in line with Pawar`s principles and I have apologised," he said.
Referring to the searches conducted by the income tax department, the minister said the department may have stepped in because the wedding celebrations were made out as the most extravagant in recent times by the media but "the truth will come out".
Jadhav also said that he did not think he was a victim of political conspiracy.
"I am too small a political activist for anybody to conspire against me. All political leaders came to bless my children," he added.
A team of income tax officers conducted inquiries and searches at the minister`s hotel as well as residence at Chiplun and Karad yesterday and also recorded his statement.
The income tax department was gathering information about the huge expe
nses incurred on the elaborate wedding of Jadhav`s son and daughter last week.
"Our mandate is to get the information about the source of money spent on the weddings," an I-T official said.
The NCP had disapproved of the lavish wedding and termed it as "inappropriate" when many parts of Maharashtra were reeling under water scarcity.
PTI
