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Pune land scandal claims ministerial victim

Minister of State for Urban Development and General Administration Ravindra Mane today announced his resignation in the Maharashtra assembly to "uphold the morals and dignity" of his party, the Shiv Sena.

Mane's resignation follows the Bombay high court's direction to the state government to institute an impartial inquiry into the Pune land scandal involving former chief minister Manohar Joshi and his son-in-law Girish Vyas.

Mane submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Narayan Rane and urged him to hold an inquiry as directed by the court.

He also thanked Justice B N Srikrishna for his observation that he [the minister] had no selfish motive in the case.

Mane is the seventh Sena minister to have resigned from the government.

Minister of State Anil Rathod resigned in 1996. Shashikant Sutar followed him in 1997. Ganesh Gaik and Gulab Gawande were dropped after refusing to resign on Joshi's orders.

Suresh Navale resigned in 1998 after members of his own party attacked his house. Finally, Joshi himself resigned on the order of Sena leader Bal Thackeray in January this year.

Mane, however, is the only minister to have resigned on moral grounds.

UNI

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