Maharashtra Revenue Minister, Eknath Khadse, has resigned after he was hit by several allegations of corruptions.
The most senior cabinet minister in Devendra Fadnavis government was facing twin scandals over an illicit land deal and also being on the most-dialled list of the underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim.
FLASH: Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse resigns.
— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2016
Khadse’s resignation came after Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP President, Amit Shah, in Delhi late on Thursday night.
Fadnavis had said, “I have submitted a factual report to Amit Shah on Khadse. The party will take necessary action.”
Khadse reportedly said that he will quit public life if the charges against him were proven to be true.
He told media later, “I’ve been in politics for 40 years now and I have never seen such kind of a media trial.”
There were allegations that a government-owned land was sold in April to Khadse’s wife and son-in-law for about four crores, when the market value of the plot was reportedly Rs 30 crores.
Khadse, for his part denied all allegations saying that the land was not owned by the government, that he bought it from a private party, and that he paid the stamp duty or tax on the market value of the plot which he says proves that the deal was above-board.