Sanjay Raut accuses BJP minister Girish Mahajan of employing contractor in his office

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut accused BJP's Girish Mahajan of corruption, claiming a contractor controls his office. Mahajan denied the allegations.

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday accused disaster management minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan of corruption and questioned the role of a contractor, Abhishek Kaul, who was allegedly working in the minister’s office and calling the shots on files. Mahajan said that Kaul was not working in his office and no files were pending.

New Delhi, Jun 03 (ANI): Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut speaks to the media after the meeting of the INDIA alliance, at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) (ANI Picture Service)

“Girish Mahajan is the most corrupt minister in the cabinet,” said Raut. “The central leadership opposed his induction, and he managed to secure a berth only after begging. A contractor named Abhishek Kaul has been working in his office. Without a call from Kaul, Mahajan does not clear files, as a result of which around 350 files are pending.”

Raut emphasised that CM Devendra Fadnavis needed to take note. “I am willing to give evidence of Mahajan’s and Kaul’s corruption,” he said. “I know that Fadnavis will not act on it. But the people of Maharashtra should know the reality. What kind of ministers has Fadnavis appointed in his cabinet?”

Mahajan refuted Raut’s charges. Speaking with the media, he said, “Abhishek Kaul does not sit in my office. He had come to me but I told him that the posts were all filled and I could not appoint him. Since taking charge, only 209 files have come to me, and a decision has been taken on 193 of them. Of the remaining 16 files, 14 files have come to my office in the last three days. People from the media can cross-check this.”

Mahajan said that Raut had made the allegations “out of frustration” since his close aide Sudhakar Badgujar was expelled by Uddhav Thackeray, who asked Raut to announce this to party workers. “No one believes him, as in the past too he has made baseless allegations against people,” he said.