The Congress-led DF Government’s failure to keep its promise of tabling the politically crucial inquiry commission report on Adarsh scam on the last day of the Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra legislature on Friday prompted a livid BJP-led Opposition to raise a storm of protest inside and outside the two Houses.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s statement — attributing his Government’s failure to table Adarsh probe panel report in the State legislature to the fact that the Action Taken Report (ATR) was not yet ready — had no takers in the Opposition ranks. No wonder that the Opposition went to town, charging the DF Government with trying to “shield” ruling politicians “indicted” in the inquiry commission report and demanding that a Special Session of the Maharashtra legislature be convened before the Winter Session especially to table and discuss the Adarsh report.
Set up on January 8, 2011 under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, a two-member Commission — comprising retired judge of the Bombay High Court JA Patil and retired Chief Secretary of Maharashtra P Subramanyam — which went into various aspects of the Adarsh scam — submitted its report to the Maharashtra Government on April 19 2013, the last day of the Budget Session of State legislature.
On his part, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had assured the Opposition on the floor of the State legislature that the DF Government would table the Adarsh probe panel report, along with ATR, during the Monsoon Session of the State legislature. On its part, the Opposition was expecting that the State Government would table the report on the last day of the Monsoon Session. As per the stipulated norm, the State Government would have to table the inquiry commission within six months from the date of submission of the report. In essence, the DF Government would have to table the report on or before October 19.