Thaindian News

Mumbai, Aug 2 (IANS) The Shiv Sena Tuesday demanded the dismissal of Maharashtra Industry Minister Narayan Rane after his name cropped up in the ongoing probe hearing in the Adarsh Society scam.

Sena legislators created a ruckus in the assembly, alleging that during his tenure as the chief minister at the head of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine, Rane (then with the Shiv Sena) had asked officials to conduct a speedy inquiry and submit report into the ownership and other details of the land where the controversial Adarsh Society building was constructed in Colaba.

“We have demanded that Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan should not waste a minute and dismiss Narayan Rane from the cabinet for his role in the Adarsh Society scam,” Sena leader Subhash Desai told media persons.

However, he said that the speaker did not allow Chavan to speak over the issue and consequently, the Sena members staged a walkout from the assembly in the afternoon.

Justifying the party’s demand, Desai referred to the statements by a senior official of the revenue department before the ongoing inquiry commission Monday.

The official said that on Sep 21, 1999, the chief promoter of Adarsh Society had written a letter to the then chief minister (Rane), seeking allotment of the Colaba land.

“Rane had referred the letter to the revenue and forest departments with an endorsement made in hand writing saying ‘Submit report immediately’,” the official told the probe panel.