‘His name not found anywhere in bribery case…’, says CM Fadnavis; gives ‘clean chit’ to Maha minister Zirwal

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Mumbai, Feb 23 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the State Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal’s name has not appeared anywhere in the records about the ongoing probe into the bribery involving his Private Secretary Ramdas Gade and clerk Deringe.

The Chief Minister on Sunday said: “The clerk demanded money. When he was caught, action was taken against his superior officers; that is why the Private Secretary was transferred. However, in this entire case, Minister Narhari Zirwal’s name has not surfaced in any evidence or any conversation. Had his name appeared anywhere, we (Maharashtra government) would have certainly asked for Zirwal’s resignation as well.”

Chief Minister Fadnavis was speaking at the press conference held after the customary tea and Cabinet meeting held ahead of the Budget session of the State Legislature starting from Monday.

A serious bribery case has emerged in the office of the state’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) department in the Mantralaya.

Narhari Zirwal is the concerned Cabinet Minister of this department.

Allegations in this case have been levelled against Zirwal’s personal assistant, Ramdas Gade, and a clerk named Deringe.

Following the exposure of this matter, the state government has found itself in a difficult position.

There are growing demands for Minister Zirwal’s resignation.

CM Fadnavis has now reacted to this demand, effectively giving Minister Zirwal a “clean chit”.

Asked whether Minister Zirwal would be investigated — given that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) takes action in the Mantralaya, clerks are caught, and Secretaries are transferred to other departments — CM Fadnavis replied, “The ACB only acts when complete evidence is prepared. They lay a trap only after the groundwork is solid. Conversations are recorded, and every detail of what transpired during the corrupt act is documented. Action is taken against those whose names appear in these records and against whom there is direct evidence.”

The Chief Minister also addressed the impact on the state government’s image.

“Whether corruption happens in the Mantralaya or a Tehsil office, it inevitably damages the government’s image. It is never a matter of pride for the state government when any official engages in bribery.”

He noted that the state government has adopted zero tolerance for corruption.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said that actions against corruption are ongoing.

“We have issued clear instructions to take strict action if money is being extorted from the general public,” he added.

Earlier, opposition parties accused the state government of shielding Minister Zirwal while expressing rise in corruption in the current administration.

–IANS

sj/khz

Related Posts

Sabarimala gold theft casts shadow over Kerala’s two-phase local body polls

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 11 (IANS) As Kerala gears up for the two-phase local body elections on December 9 and 11, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) finds itself confronting a controversy that could shape the political narrative well beyond the polls — the alleged theft of sacred gold ornaments from the revered Sabarimala temple.

The scandal, involving the disappearance of sacred gold ornaments used for adorning the deity, has provoked widespread outrage among devotees and given the opposition a potent campaign weapon.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have accused the LDF government of shielding those responsible, calling it a “breach of faith.”

The controversy has revived memories of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the entry of two women into the temple — in defiance of age-old ritual traditions — triggered a massive backlash.

The UDF went on to win 19 of the state’s 20 parliamentary seats, with the Left paying a heavy political price.

Now, the gold theft issue threatens to reopen the same religious fault lines that had once isolated the LDF from sections of the Hindu electorate.

Polling on December 9 will cover Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam, while the second phase on December 11 will include Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod.

Counting will take place on December 13. Elections will be held in 1,199 local bodies — covering 23,576 wards — with 33,746 polling stations, 1,37,922 ballot units, and 50,691 control units ready.

The final voters’ list includes 1.33 crore men, 1.49 crore women, and 271 transgender persons. Malappuram has the largest electorate (35.7 lakh), while Wayanad has the smallest (6.4 lakh).

The LDF, which currently governs five of the six municipal corporations and dominates local self-government institutions, is seeking to consolidate its position on the strength of welfare delivery and development initiatives.

The UDF, meanwhile, views the elections as a test of its revival, while the BJP hopes to expand its urban base.

With the emotionally charged Sabarimala issue back in the spotlight, the December polls could once again turn into a referendum on faith, governance, and political accountability in Kerala.

–IANS

sg/skp

DMK slams Centre for vendetta politics, vows legal fight and campaign

Chennai, May 3 (IANS) Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK on Saturday strongly condemned the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of misusing central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for “vendetta politics.”

The party vowed to confront the Centre’s actions both legally and by taking its message directly to the people. At a meeting of the party’s district secretaries, chaired by DMK President and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the party passed a resolution alleging that the Union government had created an “undeclared Emergency” through its abuse of power.

“This meeting of district secretaries strongly condemns the Union BJP government, which is creating an undeclared Emergency,” the resolution stated, citing a pattern of political intimidation through raids by the Income Tax Department and the ED, especially in opposition-ruled states like Tamil Nadu. The DMK further accused the Centre of undermining the independence of autonomous institutions, including the judiciary.

It claimed that agencies such as the CBI, ED, and the tax department, which are mandated to operate impartially, have become tools of political retaliation under the BJP regime. According to the DMK, courts have also criticised the misuse of these institutions.

The party alleged that the BJP government used its agencies to pressure political rivals into alliances, notably the AIADMK, which recently aligned with the BJP. The resolution cited instances where the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court had reportedly censured the functioning of these central agencies in corruption-related cases.

Reaffirming its stance, the DMK said it would face all actions against its leaders by central agencies with “courage and legal resolve.” The party also pledged to expose the BJP’s alleged abuse of power to the public and to defeat the saffron party and its allies in the upcoming elections.

Senior DMK leaders, including K. Ponmudy and V. Senthil Balaji, remain under the ED’s scrutiny in connection with various cases. With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections just a year away, the DMK has already begun its preparations, setting an ambitious target of winning 200 out of 234 seats in the 2026 polls.

–IANS

aal/uk

National Award-winning singer P. Jayachandran no more

Thrissur, Jan 9 (IANS) Legendary singer P. Jayachandran passed away here at a hospital on Thursday night. He fell unconscious at his home and despite being rushed to the hospital, he could not be saved.

Jayachandran, 80, was suffering from a terminal illness. In a singing career spanning over six decades, he sung more than 16,000 songs in numerous languages.

He won the National Award for best singer besides five Kerala State awards and two Tamil Nadu state awards.

In 2020, he was given the J.C. Daniel Prize, the biggest film award in Kerala given for outstanding contribution towards the film industry.

Born into the Cochin Royal family on March 3, 1944, he graduated in Zoology and, after working for a brief while, turned into his passion – singing.

He sang his first Malayalam film song in 1965 and had no reason to look back after that.

Even though he had to compete with another legend, K.J. Yesudas, the two first met at the inaugural State School Youth festival in 1958 when he won the award for the best mridamgam artiste, while Yesudas was the best classical singer and since then they always had a healthy competition and had the highest mutual respect for one another.

In his lengthy film career, he worked with numerous composers, which included the Oscar-award-winning composer M. Keeravani, besides legends like G. Devarajan, Illayaraja, A.R. Rahman to name a few. An ardent devotee of the famed Sree Krishna temple Guruvayoor, and even when he was unwell, he recently rendered a song to Lord Guruvayoorapan.

Jayachandran married Lalitha in May 1973, and they have a daughter and a son – Dinanath who also is in the music industry.

He also acted in two Malayalam films. Condolences have started to pour in with leading lights from various sections of the society remembering the legendary singer.

–IANS

sg/pgh