IAC says it's good if corrupt political bigshots are exposed

India Against Corruption (IAC) has denied claims made by former IPS officer YP Singh that it did not reveal information of alleged land controversies related to Union minister Sharad Pawar and complimented him for raising the issue. IAC member Manish Sisodia has said they have been raising issues of alleged land deals concerning Pawar. He said their main concern was exposing corruption.

“We compliment him. He has raised the issue point-by-point,” Sisodia said.

Earlier on Thursday, YP Singh, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer-turned-activist, accused Pawar of being at the Centre of a massive irrigation scam in Maharashtra.

He also slammed IAC leader Arvind Kejriwal for "selective exposures" against politicians and alleged that he did not reveal all the information pertaining to the scam that they had both worked to expose.

"IAC had all information pertaining to the irrigation scam in Maharashtra but Kejriwal did not reveal all the facts. He has been selective in his revelations," YP Singh told media persons in Mumbai.

He also accused Kejriwal of taking his favour in the name of anti-corruption movement and using the documents for "personal political advancement".

"In the name of IAC/NGO, Kejriwal got legal documentation done by me for central ministers. But he used them for his political career," he said.

However, at one point, YP Singh complimented Kejriwal for his organisational skills and said he had made a contribution to bringing the issue of corruption into the limelight.

A former IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, Singh, who had earlier worked in concert with Kejriwal, came down heavily on the latter for not "exposing" Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya and nephew Ajit Pawar despite being in the know of his involvement in the scam.

He alleged that Ajit Pawar, irrigation minister and nephew of Sharad Pawar, allotted 141 hectares (348 acres) of land belonging to Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation on a renewable lease of 30 years to the Lake City Corporation in 2002, violating a Supreme Court Judgement.

The company which later came to be known as Lavasa Corporation, a subsidiary of Hindustan Construction Company, was allotted the land at a monthly rent of Rs. 23,000, Singh said.

Supriya Sule, now NCP MP from Baramati, and her husband Sadanand Sule, according to documents released by Singh, held 20.81% shares in the company. He alleged that these shares were sold they made huge profits.

Kejriwal before the press meet said, "Singh is doing a good work and I respect him, why is he saying all of a sudden, I don't know."

Responding to Singh's remarks, IAC activist Manish Sisodia said they congratulate him on making these "revelations" and it is good if corrupt political bigshots are exposed.

"We don't exactly know why YP Singh is saying so that we did not reveal documents against Sharad Pawar. He is a very good friend of ours. There is nothing like this," he said.