Adik mired in corruption, says Murkute

The MLA’s allegations sparked a ruckus at the meeting with ruling and opposition members resorting to slogan-shouting. Members owing allegiance to Adik and district guardian minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil later staged a walkout and a held a parallel meeting.

In one of the ugly shows of intra-Congress rivalries in Ahmednagar, Murkute dared Adik to declare his wealth and accused him of deceiving many unemployed youths.

The Rajya Sabha member has been taking huge sums from the Haregaon sugar factory as honorarium besides having involved in benami land deals in the vicinity of Mumbai, Murkute alleged. He already has appraised Congress leader Sharad Pawar about Adik amassing wealth, Murkute said and added that he would soon hand over a `file’ containing the Adik-papers to party president Sonia Gandhi.

Murkute criticised Adik for participating in a recent rally supporting anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare and appealling to the people to question saffron alliance ministers about graft allegations against them.

Retaliating, supporters of Adik and Vikhe-Patil junior, led by former panchayat samiti member Nanasaheb Pawar staged a walkout and later accused Murkute of having `robbed’ the Ashok sugar mill. The MLA illegally transferred factory assets worth Rs. 24 crore to his personal account, former factory engineer Sachin Gujar charged.