Eknath Khadse, aides angry over ‘double standards’

Upset with the BJP leadership over Eknath Khadse being asked to resign from the Cabinet, his close aides have said that while food and civil supplies minister Girish Bapat was protected in the pulses scam, Mr Khadse was forced to tender his resignation before charges of corruption could be proved against him.

Mr Khadse is also disappointed with the media as he felt a media trial had been conducted against him and that the party leadership had taken a decision under pressure from news outlets. While he is unwilling to speak with journalists, he has spoken to close aides.

According to one of his close aides, Mr Khadse is angry with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and party president Amit Shah for following a policy of double standards against corruption allegations.

”When the dal scam was exposed and opposition party leaders cornered minister for food and civil supplies Girish Bapat, neither the CM nor the party president asked him to resign from the ministry,” said a close confident of Mr Khadse on condition of anonymity. While Mr Bapat was shielded by the party, nobody came forward to support Mr Khadse, he said.

“There were allegations of corruption of Rs 4,000 crore in the dal scam against Mr Bapat. We had lost the power in 1999 on the same dal scam issue when then minister for food and civil supply, Shobhatai Fadnavis, had to tender her resignation,” the source recalled.

“Mr Khadse faced allegations single-handedly and except party spokesperson Madhav Bhandari and state president Raosaheb Danve, not a single leader came forward to defend him. But in his last press conference that was called to announce his resignation, several ministers came and sat with Mr Khadse,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Mr Khadse refused to speak about his future course of action.