New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS): The Congress has slammed the BJP for closing cases against Maharashtra's newly-sworn in Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said this is a blot on democracy and closing corruption cases was a bargaining tool.

He said that "closing corruption cases is now being used as a bargaining tool to carry on an illegitimate BJP-Ajit Pawar government in Maharashtra. This is a blot on democracy. 'Contract Killing' of democracy is now synonymous with 'Contract Killing' of honesty and accountability," he said.

Earlier Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday gave a clean chit in some cases allegedly involving Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, official sources said here.

The ACB has closed the investigations into at least nine cases in which Ajit Pawar was allegedly involved - though it is not clear if he was directly named on the first day of the new government taking office, 48 hours after it was sworn-in early on Saturday.

These nine cases pertain to big and small irrigation projects in Washim, Yavatmal, Amravati and Buldhana of the Vidarbha region, according to a notification issued by the ACB, Mumbai.

The cases, among others, collectively known as the Rs 70,000 crore 'irrigation scam' were allegedly perpetrated around 10 years ago and had created a massive political furore in the past, with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party and others raising it regularly.