Maharashtra opposition accuses Pawar of having links with Balwa

Mumbai, Apr 1 (ANI): There was chaos in the Maharashtra Assembly on Friday after the opposition accused Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar of having links with DB Reality and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa, who is presently lodged in Tihar Jail for his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam.

Leader of the Opposition, Eknath Khadse, alleged that NCP leaders, including Pawar and Praful Patel travelled with Balwa to Dubai in February last year on a plane owned by the latter's company.

Khadse from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also claimed that Pawar's wife Pratibha, BCCI chief Shashank Manohar and his wife Varsha, Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) president I S Bindra, and ICC's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Haroon Logart accompanied them to Dubai.

Shahid Balwa was arrested in February 8, for his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam.

Swan Telecom is believed to be one of the beneficiaries in the spectrum allotted during former Telecom Minister A Raja"s tenure, who was arrested prior to Balwa and is locked in the same jail.

The others arrested in connection with the case are Raja's personal secretary RK Chandolia and former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behuria.

Raja was forced to resign from the Union Cabinet last year after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) faulted him for undervaluing spectrum to favour companies who were largely ineligible for 2G spectrum, and added that the government had probably lost Rs.1.76 lakh crore in estimated revenue. (ANI)