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Tag: Abdul Sattar

  • Shinde under fire for inducting tainted MLAs Sanjay Rathod and Abdul Sattar into Cabinet

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI: The Opposition parties in Maharashtra on Tuesday slammed CM Eknath Shinde and BJP for inducting controversial rebel Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Rathod and Abdul Sattar as Cabinet ministers.  

    Sanjay Rathod’s name had surfaced in TikTok star Pooja Chavan suicide case. Chavan, before committing suicide at her Pune residence, had allegedly spoken with Sanjay Rathod. It was alleged that Rathod forced her to commit suicide. Following the controversy, Rathod was forced to resign from Uddhav Thackeray Cabinet.

    Abdul Sattar, another tainted Sena MLA, was also sworn in as Cabinet minister. He was mired into controversy when the names of his two daughters had surfaced in teachers eligibility test (TET) scam. It was alleged that Sattar’s children manipulated the TET exam results to inflate their marks. After the probe, 7,800 candidates of TET exam were disqualified because all of them found inflating their marks. Sattar, however, denied allegations and demanded a high level probe. He said there was a deliberate attempt to malign him ahead of the Cabinet expansion.

    CM Eknath Shinde defended his decision of inducting Sanjay Rathod in his Cabinet saying that the police have given him clean chit in Pooja Chavan suicide case. He further said that if some one still has issue with Rathod, then they will hear him out as well.

    ALSO READ | No women in 20-member cabinet as Maharashtra CM Shinde expands 41-day-old ministry

    Sources said that Shinde has decided to defend Rathod and Sattar. “There are some ministers who are facing serious charges, still Eknath Shinde decided to induct them. The CM does not care about the allegations against his ministers. What matters for him is loyalty as these tainted MLAs stood by him. Therefore, he wants to reward them by giving ministerial posts,” he added requesting anonymity.

    Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had demanded the arrest of Sanjay Rathod when his name surfaced in Pooja Chavan suicide case. “Now, BJP has welcomed Rathod in new Shinde-Fadnavis government,” she added.

    Pooja Chavan, who was hailed from Parli Vaijnath in Beed district, had gone to Pune a week before her death. She was pursuing an English-speaking course and was residing with two youths. Her video went viral on TikTok and social media after which she allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the Heaven Park building in the Wanawadi area on February 8. It was alleged she was in relation with Sanjay Rathod and skirmishes between them resulted in suicide of Pooja Chavan. There were several viral audio conversations between Pooja and Sanjay Rathod.

    Meanwhile, Chitra Wagh, vice president of BJP (Maharashtra unit), said it is very unfortunate that Sanjay Rathod, who was responsible for the death of Pooja Chavan, was sworn in as a minister. “Sanjay Rathod has inducted as a minister in the new government, but I will continue my fight against him. I have full faith on judiciary. We will fight … and win,” Chitra Wagh tweeted.

    Leader of Opposition and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said while inducting some MLAs as ministers, some name should have been dropped.

    MUMBAI: The Opposition parties in Maharashtra on Tuesday slammed CM Eknath Shinde and BJP for inducting controversial rebel Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Rathod and Abdul Sattar as Cabinet ministers.  

    Sanjay Rathod’s name had surfaced in TikTok star Pooja Chavan suicide case. Chavan, before committing suicide at her Pune residence, had allegedly spoken with Sanjay Rathod. It was alleged that Rathod forced her to commit suicide. Following the controversy, Rathod was forced to resign from Uddhav Thackeray Cabinet.

    Abdul Sattar, another tainted Sena MLA, was also sworn in as Cabinet minister. He was mired into controversy when the names of his two daughters had surfaced in teachers eligibility test (TET) scam. It was alleged that Sattar’s children manipulated the TET exam results to inflate their marks. After the probe, 7,800 candidates of TET exam were disqualified because all of them found inflating their marks. Sattar, however, denied allegations and demanded a high level probe. He said there was a deliberate attempt to malign him ahead of the Cabinet expansion.

    CM Eknath Shinde defended his decision of inducting Sanjay Rathod in his Cabinet saying that the police have given him clean chit in Pooja Chavan suicide case. He further said that if some one still has issue with Rathod, then they will hear him out as well.

    ALSO READ | No women in 20-member cabinet as Maharashtra CM Shinde expands 41-day-old ministry

    Sources said that Shinde has decided to defend Rathod and Sattar. “There are some ministers who are facing serious charges, still Eknath Shinde decided to induct them. The CM does not care about the allegations against his ministers. What matters for him is loyalty as these tainted MLAs stood by him. Therefore, he wants to reward them by giving ministerial posts,” he added requesting anonymity.

    Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had demanded the arrest of Sanjay Rathod when his name surfaced in Pooja Chavan suicide case. “Now, BJP has welcomed Rathod in new Shinde-Fadnavis government,” she added.

    Pooja Chavan, who was hailed from Parli Vaijnath in Beed district, had gone to Pune a week before her death. She was pursuing an English-speaking course and was residing with two youths. Her video went viral on TikTok and social media after which she allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the Heaven Park building in the Wanawadi area on February 8. It was alleged she was in relation with Sanjay Rathod and skirmishes between them resulted in suicide of Pooja Chavan. There were several viral audio conversations between Pooja and Sanjay Rathod.

    Meanwhile, Chitra Wagh, vice president of BJP (Maharashtra unit), said it is very unfortunate that Sanjay Rathod, who was responsible for the death of Pooja Chavan, was sworn in as a minister. “Sanjay Rathod has inducted as a minister in the new government, but I will continue my fight against him. I have full faith on judiciary. We will fight … and win,” Chitra Wagh tweeted.

    Leader of Opposition and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said while inducting some MLAs as ministers, some name should have been dropped.

  • Pyaar kiya to darna kya: Shiv Sena’s Abdul Sattar on NCP cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde’s rape charge

    By PTI
    JALNA: Shiv Sena minister in Maharashtra Abdul Sattar has sought to defend his NCP cabinet colleague Dhananjay Munde, accused of rape by a Mumbai-based woman, saying “pyaar kiya to darna kya.

    Talking to media persons here on Wednesday, Sattar said Munde has himselfdeclared that he had been in a relationship with the complainants sister and has two children with her.

    He (Munde) did not hide anything. ‘pyaar kiya to darna kya’, (why fear if in love)?” the Sena minister said when asked about the charges against Munde and the BJP’s demand for his resignation.

    Munde, an NCP leader from Beed district, has denied the rape allegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the woman and her sister.

    Munde (45) said the woman’s claims were part of a conspiracy to blackmail him.

    He, however, acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the woman’s sister and has two children with her.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday, Munde said his wife, family and friends were aware of this relationship, adding the two kids have been accepted by his family.

    Sattar said when senior BJP leader late Gopinath Munde faced criticism over his relationship with a woman in late 1990s, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had defended the former deputy chief minister, saying pyaar kiya to darna kya.

    Asked about the charge that Dhananjay Munde did not disclose personal details in his election affidavit, Sattar said most leaders do so, including those from the BJP.

    “I have suchinformation against BJP leaders and will expose them at (appropriate) time,” said the Sena leader.

    Sattar accused the BJP of working against the Sena candidate from Jalna in the2019 Assembly polls, leading to his defeat at the hands of the Congress nominee.

    The BJP and the Shiv Sena had fought the 2019 state polls together, but parted ways later following differences over power-sharing.

    The Shiv Sena then joined hands with the NCP and the Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in November 2019.