₹328 crore from sugar factory scam used to make movie based on Manmohan Singh: Congress, NCP

Mumbai city news: Vijay Gutte, the son of main accused in the scam, who has produced movies namely Badmashiyaan and Emotional Atyachar, is directing the movie

Accidental Prime Minister, a much talked about movie on former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh based on a book written by his media advisor Sanjaya Baru, is now in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Baru’s book gave a detailed account of the tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh in his first term as PM. It had sparked a controversy when it was published ahead of the 2014 general elections. (HT File)

The Opposition parties in Maharashtra have alleged the money from Rs328-crore sugar factory scam was diverted to make this movie.

Vijay Gutte, the son of main accused in the scam, who has produced movies namely Badmashiyaan and Emotional Atyachar, is directing the movie.

Baru’s book gave a detailed account of the tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh in his first term as PM. It had sparked a controversy when it was published ahead of the 2014 general elections.

It was alleged that Gangakhed Sugar and Energy Private Limited, a sugar mill owned by Ratnakar Gutte and others, used names of 2,298 farmers from the village in Parbhani district, some of whom were dead, to apply for loans worth Rs328 crore from six banks including five nationalised and one private one. The police started to probe the allegations after a Bombay high court order.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said this shows the link between the film makers and the BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “There have been deliberate attempts to malign our party’s image. After the BJP came to power, there has been a rise in such attempts,” Sawant told HT. “Considering this, I have doubts whether the matter will be seriously investigated and the culprit of such a serious crime will be punished,” he said.

Ratnakar Gutte, also leader of BJP ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP), refuted the allegations saying his son is an independent person and the charges are politically motivated.

BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said Gutte has no relation with his party and he was originally from the NCP.

“The allegations are far from fact. He [Ratnakar Gutte] is not related to the BJP in any way. Moreover, he is a former NCP politician and was close to Ajit Pawar, former deputy chief minister and energy minister. Gutte’s name also surfaced in some coal deals made by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) in which irregularities were found,” Bhandari said.