BJP caught on wrong foot by JD(U)’s demonetization googly
Patna,(BiharTimes): Even as the JD(U) decided to stay away from Monday’s shutdown (bandh) of opposition parties to protest against demonetization the ruling party of Bihar on Saturday produced documents to substantiate its claim of land purchase at several places in the state by the saffron party just weeks before the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8.
The joint Press conference held on Saturday by JD(U) spokespersons Sanjay Singh, Neeraj Kumar and Rajeev Ranjan, in a way, debunked all stories floating in the media of possible break of Grand Alliance and coming together of the JD(U) and BJP.
Instead they alleged Rs15 lakh out of Rs 33 lakh was paid in cash for purchasing land in Siwan. They showed a letter by BJP national president Amit Shah authorizing the party’s state treasurer, Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, on February 16, 2016 to purchase immovable properties in Bihar.
The spokesmen claimed the BJP formed a three-member committee for land purchase in Bihar in October this year. “BJP purchased land in around 675 districts in the country weeks before PM Narendra Modi announced scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. BJP leader Sushil Modi on Friday said the deal for the said land in Bihar was done through RTGS (real-time gross settlement system) but we have documents to show that major part of the amount was paid in cash,” Sanjay Singh said.
On the other hand Neeraj quoted the figure from the land registration documents, to say: “The rate quoted in the documents is quite less than the circle rate (the minimum value of land fixed by the government). This clearly indicates that majority of the payment was done secretly with a motive of spending black money in the form of old Rs 500 and Rs.1000 notes.”
According to JD(U) plots in Bihar were purchased in the name of BJP legislators Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, Sanjeev Chaurasia and Lal Babu Prasad.
“We had given a deadline of 48 hours to BJP to furnish proof with regard to the legitimacy of land deal. However, there has been no response from them, which shows that they have been exposed,” said the third spokesman Rajeev Ranjan.
JD(U) and RJD had already alleged that BJP spent Rs 4.7 crore on purchasing land in Lakhisarai district on September 6, in Madhubani and Madhepura on September 14, in Katihar on September 16 and in Kishanganj and Arwal on September 19. The sale deed in Siwan was dated on September 20.
The Saturday development has not only caught the BJP on the wrong foot, but also rejected all talks of possible rieft in the Grand Alliance government in Bihar. Now it appears that it was a great ploy adopted by the JD(U) to keep the saffron party in dark.
