Addressing a press conference, Pawar claimed there was a “politician-contractor nexus” behind the government’s defence of the Missing Link project despite concerns raised after recent landslides near the project site.
Speaking on the controversy, Pawar said, “Missing Link Project: There is a massive political-contractor nexus. The government is shielding major firms like Navyuga and Afcons from accountability for cracks on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway because they fund the ruling parties.”
His remarks come amid an ongoing political row over the Missing Link project after heavy rainfall triggered landslides near one of its tunnels earlier this week, disrupting road traffic and rail services.
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The controversy intensified after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis strongly defended the project in the Assembly, dismissing allegations that public money had been wasted. Fadnavis criticised those spreading what he termed misinformation about the project and later replaced his earlier “bhade ke tattu” remark with the phrases “bhatka gardabh” and “suparibaaz” while targeting critics.
The Chief Minister maintained that describing the project as a failure and claiming that “Rs 7,000 crore went down the drain” amounted to an insult to Maharashtra. He said the Missing Link was an engineering achievement that had reduced accidents in the ghat section and improved connectivity between Mumbai and Pune. Fadnavis also stated that the government had consulted experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), who recommended additional protective measures that would be implemented to strengthen the project.Targeting the government on another issue, Pawar demanded a judicial investigation into the alleged financial irregularities linked to the Ram Mandir donation case.
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” We demand a judicial probe into the Rs 1,500-crore Ram Mandir land scam and an audit of the Rs 34,000-crore Nashik Mahakumbh works. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Siddhivinayak counter-allegations are merely a diversionary tactic,” Pawar alleged.
His remarks come as the investigation into the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case continues in Ayodhya. On Friday, Investigating Officer Ashutosh Tiwari submitted evidence and documents collected during the police remand of three accused before the Anti-Corruption Court. The Supreme Court is also scheduled to hear petitions seeking an independent probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on July 13.
Pawar also criticised the Centre’s ethanol blending policy, expressing concerns over its impact on older vehicles.
“Ethanol Policy: Pushing ethanol blending beyond 20 per cent in older vehicles will cause technical damage. One hundred per cent ethanol is unfeasible until flex-fuel cars are widely introduced in India,” he said.
The Centre has maintained that the transition to E20 fuel was undertaken after extensive consultations with automobile manufacturers, testing agencies and other stakeholders. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has said manufacturers supported the rollout after technical evaluations on vehicle compatibility, engine performance, emissions and fuel efficiency. It also stated that operating multiple fuel grades nationwide would pose significant logistical and operational challenges and that field data had not indicated widespread E20-related issues in older vehicles.
