Rahul Gandhi (PTI image)
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Maharashtra government of “zameen chori” (land theft) after earlier alleging “vote chori” (vote theft) by the Centre.He made the remark following reports that a company linked to Parth Pawar, son of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had allegedly acquired government land in Pune’s Koregaon Park area without paying proper dues.Citing an interim government report, Gandhi alleged that land worth Rs 1,800 crore, reserved for Dalits, was sold for just Rs 300 crore, with stamp duty completely waived. He said the case exposed large-scale corruption in the state and claimed the same government came to power through “vote theft.”In a post on X, Gandhi wrote, “In Maharashtra, government land worth ₹1,800 crore, which was reserved for Dalits, was sold to the minister’s son’s company for just ₹300 crore. On top of that, the stamp duty was also waived — meaning not only is it a robbery, but even a legal stamp of approval on the theft. The Congress MP further wrote: “This is ‘land theft’ by that government, which itself was formed through ‘vote theft.’ They know that no matter how much they loot, they will return to power by stealing votes again.” He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for maintaining silence on the issue, alleging that the central government was protecting those who “usurp the rights of Dalits and the deprived.” “No regard for democracy, nor for the public, nor for the rights of Dalits. Modi ji, your silence speaks volumes — are you staying silent because your government is propped up by those very looters who usurp the rights of Dalits and the deprived?” Gandhi asked.According to an interim report by the Inspector General of Registration in Pune, the property, allegedly valued at Rs 1,800 crore was sold to a company linked to Parth Pawar for just Rs 300 crore, with only Rs 500 paid in stamp duty.The report claims the sale bypassed standard procedures for land reserved for Dalits and involved significant financial losses to the state, news agency ANI reported. Following the report, one official has been suspended and the Maharashtra government has set up a high-level committee to investigate the alleged irregularities. The committee has been asked to submit its final findings within eight days.