Produces more info Lalitgate, Vayapam, Maha corruption
TIA Correspondent /
Opposition Congress has intesified its attack on BJP and its ruled satates. Today it attacked them on the issues of link between Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and tainted former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, VYAPAM scam in Madhya Pradesh and allegations of irregularities against Maharashtra Minister Vinod Tawde.
Upping its ante against Ms. Raje, the Congress released another document to support the allegations that she is in illegal occupation of the Dholpur Palace along with Lalit Modi. Briefing media in New Delhi, party leader Jairam Ramesh said that in 1949 the then ruler of Dholpur, Rana Udaibhan Singh, had clearly stated that the Palace is in the ownership of State. Alleging that there is a criminal nexus between Ms. Raje’s family and Lalit Modi, Mr. Ramesh persisted with the demand for the sacking of the Chief Minister.
BJP however accused the Congress of sharing half truth about the ownership of Dholpur Palace and misleading people on the issue. Party leader Sidharth Nath Singh told media in New Delhi that the opposition party is citing a 1949 document claiming that the palace is a state property but it is hiding other documents under which the palace was later transferred to the family of BJP MP Dushyant Singh. In a press conference in Jaipur, BJP state unit president Ashok Parnami said 1949 order which Congress leader is referring to has no legal validity as Dholpur Palace was given to Hemant Singh, the father of Dushyant Singh through a Central government document in 1958.
In an another political development, the Congress filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking Apex Court monitored CBI investigation into Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, VYAPAM, scam. Briefing media in New Delhi, senior party leader Digvijay Singh said, two separate PILs have also been filed in the case by the whistle blowers. Reacting to the move, BJP said the Congress is taking such action in desperation resulting from continued electoral defeats in Madhya Pradesh. Talking to AIR, party spokesperson G V L Narsimha said that the Jabalpur High Court monitored SIT has already given clean chit to Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the case and opposition party is trying to tarnish his image by making baseless and false allegations.
Maharashtra Minister for Higher and Technical Education Vinod Tawde dismissed allegations against him that his department had awarded irregular contracts worth 191 crore rupees without e-tendering for procuring fire extinguishers. Mr. Tawde while speaking to reporters in Mumbai said that not a single rupee has been paid to contractors. The Primary Education Department stopped the order immediately after the Finance Department raised objections.
The case pertains to the supply of fire extinguishers to 62,105 zilla parishad schools in the state. Tawde’s department, in February 2015 issued a government resolution authorizing the office of the Education Director to ink a rate contract for supply of fire extinguishers. Confirming that he had given directives, the Minister said the file in this regard was first moved during Congress-NCP regime and the then Education Minister was in favour of this proposal. The Congress is out on the streets in Mumbai demanding the resignation of Mr. Tawde and state Minister for Women and Child Welfare Development Pankaja Munde who has also been accused of irregularities. Pankaja on her part has dismissed the allegations against her as political vendetta.
Congress today submitted evidences with the Anti Corruption Bureau of the alleged Rs 206-crore procurement scam by Maharashtra Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde. Speaking to media persons in Mumbai today Congress leader Sachin Sawant said that his party has demanded an open inquiry in to the matter. He also alleged that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has developed a habit of defending and giving a clean chit to his ministers thus Congress doubts of a fair investigation by him. Meanwhile, Pankaja Munde who returned from London today said that she would soon expose the conspiracy against her. Munde is expected to address the media tomorrow.