PrashantNews
Nearly a decade ago, a polyhouse scandal rocked Uttarakhand when Amrita Rawat was serving as horticulture minister in the Congress government headed by Vijay Bahuguna.
She had allegedly favoured her husband Satpal Maharaj, who is currently state Tourism Minister, to set up polyhouses in his nurseries apparently to boost the family floriculture business.
When Harish Rawat became chief minister in 2014, he did not allow Amrita to head the horticulture ministry in the wake of the scandal.
Ten years later, Maharaj is facing wrath on the social media after his son Suyash Rawat was selected as one of the final six prospective candidates for operating cruise boats in the Tehri dam reservoir, a scheme run by the state tourism department.
Sensing trouble, Maharaj, in a statement, said he would ask his son Suyash to withdraw his application. “I will ask my son to withdraw his application,” he said. However, Maharaj maintained that the process of selection was fair and transparent.
Irked by Maharaj’s statement, Uttarakhand Congress launched a blistering attack on the ruling BJP saying it was most unfortunate part of the state that the Tourism Minister’s own son has been selected in the tourism department’s scheme. “It is also unfortunate in way that Maharaj’s total assets are beyond imagination. I also want to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his famous statement (na khaunga, na khane dunga) against corruption which I don’t to repeat now,” said state Congress Vice President Suryakant Dhasmana.
However, the ruling BJP MLA Kishore Upadhyay, obliquely supported Maharaj saying if a person’s selection is done under the proper constitutional provisions then there is no harm. “Let us wait for the final selection also,” he said.