Devendra Fadnavis playing "politics of opportunism": Congress

MUMBAI: Congress today accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of playing "politics of opportunism" saying the women and child welfare Department recently awarded contracts for purchase of food items to the same company whom the BJP had targeted when in opposition.

"The Chief Minister is now asking for proof from us to initiate inquiry against his own minister (Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde) and the wrong doings she has been involved in. We will give him the proof because we have lot of it," Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said here.

Fadnavis had told PTI that he was ready to announce a probe into allegations against Munde, accused of violating norms by awarding contracts of Rs 206 crore without inviting tenders, if the opposition furnished evidence.

"When contracts of Rs 37.07 crore were awarded to a company in spite of objections from the Secretary of the department, their (BJP and Shiv Sena) leaders such as Nitin Gadkari, Vinod Tawde, Ashish Shelar, Diwakar Raote, Deepak Sawant, etc., raised a hue and cry in the Assembly session in 2013, and we (Congress-led government) finally stayed the order. Today, contract worth much more has been awarded to the same company," Sawant said.

"Is this not double standard? What more proof does the CM want to initiate a probe? We demand a fair and transparent probe into all the dealings of the WCD department," he added.

While Munde has denied any violation of norms, Fadnavis defended her by saying that when Congress and NCP were in power, purchases were made through the same system.