Thackeray allows Sutar8217;s quot;sacrificequot;

According to sources, both national and State considerations caused the Sena chief to retreat from his public posture. Crucial to the decision was the marathon meeting which Pramod Mahajan, BJP8217;s national secretary, had with Thackeray. In that meeting, Mahajan reportedly impressed upon the Sena chief that in the wake of the dilemma the Janata Dal was in, owing to the Central Bureau of Investigation8217;s decision to seek prosecution of party president and Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, inaction in Sutar8217;s case would prove counter-productive to the alliance partners both at national and state level.

The Chief Minister too pointed out that since the Sena-BJP alliance had come to power on an anti-corruption plank, not taking action would be seen to be condoning a Minister indicted by a panel set up by their own Government.

Action in the case would also serve to silence the critics and would work in favour of the governing alliance8217;s image. Sources say it was only after much persuasion, Thackeray finally capitulated.

According to sources, the BJP will have a price to pay for Thackeray8217;s nod in 8220;sacrificing8221; Sutar. Though the BJP came out cleaner from the Puranik probe with its Minister, Shivankar, being acquitted and his original departments being restored to him, it was hardly in a position to cast the first stone, considering that there are charges of even graver nature against the only woman in the Cabinet, Shobhatai Phadnavis of the BJP, who holds charge of the Food and Civil Supplies department.The 8220;evidence8221; against her alleged dal ghotala has been established as rather more than prima facie. The BJP has so far resisted all demands for her resignation and Thackeray has been benign to his ally over this issue in the past. But no longer.

In his 68-page report, Justice Puranik had held Sutar guilty of corruption charges, while Shivankar was exonerated owing to lack of evidence.

Sutar had submitted his resignation to Joshi immediately after the Chief Minister8217;s statement on the recommendations of the Puranik Committee report in the Legislature.

The one-man committee, comprising Justice S W Puranik, was constituted in November following allegations of corruption against Sutar and Shivankar by social activist Anna Hazare.

According to reliable sources, however, Thackeray caved in more to pressure from within the Sena than any whip hand that the BJP might have held over him after the results of the Puranik probe.

Senior Sena leaders were believed to be of the view that it would be dangerous for Thackeray to go back on his public promise of swift action against any individual found to be corrupt in his Government. This, the sources, said, brought about a re-think on the part of Thackeray, who said, 8220;I do not want the curses of the people. I wish only for their blessings.8221;

The Sena chief is well aware that the 8220;accursed8221; Congress was voted out of power in Maharashtra for the first time since Independence essentially because of public perception over the alleged corruption in the Sharad Pawar Government. Yet Pawar had shown far less resistance in fighting graft, particularly in a similar crusade against his Government by Hazare.

Then, however, Hazare had targeted only officials in the Government. This time round he went straight for the jugular of the political establishment. The Sena leaders were said to have told Thackeray that the party image which has already suffered knocking vis-a-vis other scandals in the recent past, could not afford to be seen as harbouring the 8220;declared corrupt8221; within its regime.

Thackeray is already sore at the epitomisation of his party8217;s Government in the State as 8220;one in a hurry8221; 8212; a la corruption.

Sutar was evasive about assets: Puranik

The Puranik committee report states that Shashikant Sutar did not disclose the whole truth to the inquiry committee and furnished contradictory information about his family assets.

Sutar filed the returns of his income and assets on December 30, listing 19 items as his assets of which 18 were either land plots or houses and the last was a Maruti Esteem car He later appeared before the commission on February 18. In order to avoid revealing to the inquiry committee that his former corporator wife Rasika owned seven flats in Kothrud, Sutar filed a few documents to communicate purchase of two flats in the name of his wife at Sumangal building in Kothrud on March 13, when the draft of the inquiry report was being given final touches. 8220;Propriety of giving this additional dossier is not understandable,8221; Justice Puranik maintains.