Maharshtra Assembly adjourned amid noisy scenes over Bhujbal's arrest

Mumbai, March 15: Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today witnessed noisy scenes as opposition Congress and NCP members protested against the arrest of former state Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, leading the session to be adjourned for 10 minutes.

As soon as the House proceedings began, the opposition members started shouting slogans against Bhujbal's arrest.

Speaker Haribhau Bagade tried to pacify them but as the din increased, he announced that the House was being adjourned for 10 minutes.

He said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had informed him that Bhujbal has been arrested. Earlier, the Congress and NCP legislators staged a protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhawan's main entrance, against Bhujbal's arrest.

They carried placards decrying the "fascist government" for arresting the senior NCP leader and shouted slogans condemning the "vendetta politics".

Bhujbal was last night arrested by the ED here after 10 hours of questioning in connection with its probe in a money laundering case registered against him and others. According to an ED official, the arrest of the former PWD minister was effected under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he allegedly refused to cooperate during questioning.

The agency also recorded his statement in the case. The agency has filed two FIRs against Bhujbal, his son and nephew and others under the provisions of PMLA, based on Mumbai Police FIRs, to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan construction scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.

PTI