Mumbai/Surajkund: An RTI activist has alleged that Nitin Gadkari did not want her to pursue the irrigation scam in Maharashtra, a charged dismissed as baseless on Thursday by the BJP president who slapped a legal notice accusing her of defaming him.
RTI whistleblower Anjali Damania claimed that when she met Gadkari in Mumbai the BJP chief said he would not take a stand on irrigation scam since he had a business relationship with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Gadkari has denied that she had met him.
Damania, a member of India Against Corruption(IAC), at a news conference in Mumbai in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal yesterday initially did not name Gadkari only alleging that "a president from the opposition party" from Maharashtra attempted to cover up the irrigation scam. Later, she named the BJP president and said she has met him thrice.
Damania had alleged that when she approached Gadkari to pursue the case against NCP leaders involved in the Rs 20,000 crore irrigation scam, he asked her not to go ahead.
She alleged that Gadkari told her he has business interests with Pawar and that they extend mutual help where required.
Gadkari today served a legal notice on Damania for levelling allegations against him and refuting her charge that he has business relations with Pawar.
Gadkari’s counsel Shamshery & Associates served the legal notice on Gadkari’s behalf today. In the notice, the lawyers have charged that Damania has given false statements to TV channels, which were also widely reported in newspapers.
PTI
