Nitin Gadkari refused to help us because of his proximity to Sharad Pawar: IAC member

Mumbai: After the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also feeling the heat over the Maharashtra irrigation scam now. India Against Corruption activists are pointing fingers at BJP President Nitin Gadkari alleging that he didn't help their efforts because of his proximity to Sharad Pawar.

IAC member Anjali Damania claimed that she met Gadkari thrice, but he refused help as he did not want to disappoint Sharad Pawar. "I met Nitin Gadkari thrice - twice in 2011 and once on August 14, 2012 to discuss about the irrigation scam. What he told me shocked me. He said Sharad Pawar does something for his party and his party does something for Pawar. He said you can go ahead with your fight but we can't do anything," Damania said.

"I asked Gadkari why BJP was not allowing Kirit Somaiya to file a PIL. He asked me if Somaiya had sent me. When I said no, Gadkari said Somaiya is an eccentric man, he doesn't know the entire game. He said if they have to share seats they will have to be with the NCP only. I was shocked when I heard this," she added.

CNN-IBN has accessed letters that show that BJP President Nitin Gadkari's aide Ajay Sancheti got licences against the rules. Ajit Pawar as the President of the Vidharbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) had issued a circular allowing more than three contracts per contractor. The move benefitted Ajay Sancheti who is also a BJP MP.

The name of Sancheti's company was changed to SMS Infrastructure in 2005. Breaking company registrar's rules, Sancheti sought and got licences for both of his companies from VIDC in 2007.

He then went on to form a Joint Venture with D&SN Thakkars and secured contracts worth Rs 156 crore.

However, Sancheti has denied any wrongdoing. He told CNN-IBN, "All these are baseless allegations. This is nothing but an attempt to malign Nitin Gadkari. I didn't break any law. The company's name was changed as per established guidelines. I was only getting payments for a while in my earlier companies name as state permissions for company name changes take a while."