Mumbai, May 17 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday dismissed the allegation that he has diverted a Bharat Biotech project of manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines to his home district Pune.

He said the plant was being set up in Pune following a Bombay High Court decision in this regard.

Pawar is the guardian minister of Pune.

Pawar issued a statement after BJP MLA from Nagpur Krishna Khopde reportedly alleged that the deputy CM diverted the project to his home district.

"The Bombay High Court itself ordered to allot a place in Manjari in Haveli taluka of Pune to Bharat Biotech for manufacturing vaccine against COVID-19. Being the guardian minister, I have discharged the responsibility of obeying the court," Pawar said.

The senior NCP leader said he would have been equally happy if Bharat Biotech was allotted a space anywhere else in the state.

"Hence, Khopde's allegation is utterly false and misleading. It's a feeble attempt at garnering publicity for a transient period," Pawar said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)