None of Maha minister Abdul Sattar's daughters got job through TET: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday came out in defence of Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar, saying that none of the daughters of the latter got a job through the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET).

Fadnavis made the statement in the state Assembly after the opposition sought clarification from the government over the TET scam and alleged that Sattar's family members got undue benefits and linked his daughters to it.

Fadnavis hit back at the opposition and said the exam took place when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was in power (till June-end this year).

''Abdul Sattar's daughters have not got any job through TET. The TET commissioner had clarified that they were disqualified,'' Fadnavis said.

Raising the issue in the House, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said, ''Some ministers are linked to it (TET scam). Their daughters have been employed as teachers. We don't want to target anyone, but it does not fit in the law if power is being misused to benefit their kin.'' The opposition also staged a walkout over the issue. Notably, the opposition had also targeted Sattar alleging irregularity in a land order. The names of Sattar's daughters had appeared in the list of the 7,880 candidates who were disqualified and banned in connection with the alleged rigging of the TET 2019-20. In August this year, Sattar had told PTI over phone that his two daughters (Heena Kausar Abdul Sattar Shaikh and Uzma Nahid Abdul Sattar Shaikh) had appeared for the TET exam held in January 2020, but they did not clear the exam and thus were ineligible. Apparently, Sattar’s two daughters work in the education society belonging to him. Sattar represents the Sillod constituency in the Aurangabad district.