Maha honeytrap scandal: Cong legislator Nana Patole displays pen drive seeking govt's response

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Congress legislator Nana Patole in the Maharashtra Assembly, on Thursday, again raised the honeytrap scandal targeting the state's high ranking officers and politicians and displayed a pen drive.

Patole, who is a former Assembly Speaker, did not stop there but said that he is ready to show the content in the pen drive to the state government.

He appealed to the Speaker Rahul Narwekar to direct the state government to take stern action against the culprits.

He had raised the issue through a point of propriety on Wednesday.

Patole warned that it would be detrimental to the state if confidential and sensitive information has been leaked during the honeytrap scandal.

"Through honeytrap, important documents of the state are in the hands of anti-social elements. I do not want to defame anyone. But the government is not serious about all this. The government is not ready to give even a simple statement," he said.

"More than 72 officials and some Ministers of the state have been caught in the net of honeytrap. Confidential information is being collected from the honeytrappers. Also, some officials have been blackmailed and have thought of extreme things like suicide. The government is not ready to say anything on this. That is why I raised this issue in the Assembly today," Patole added.

He appealed the Speaker Narwekar to direct the state government to make a statement in this regard.

He also expressed serious displeasure over state government's reluctance to make a statement explaining what action has been taken in this case.

He brought to the Speaker's notice that despite his directive the state government has not made any statement on Thursday.

Patole urged Speaker Narwekar to give strong directives to immediately make a statement.

"I ask the government to take a serious view of the submission made by senior legislator Nana Patole and make statement revealing future line of action on Friday. I also ask the government to make statements tomorrow on directives given earlier about various other issues raised by Opposition," Speaker Narwekar said.

NCP-SP legislator Jayant Patil said that the Nashik honey trap case is serious.

He also demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, should give a statement on all these cases.

After Speaker's directive, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the state government has taken cognisance of this issue.

--IANS

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