New Delhi: Strengthened by B S Yeddyurappa's
resignation as Karnataka Chief Minister following graft
charges, BJP on Wednesday demanded the head of Haryana CM Bhupinder
Singh Hooda for "illegal" denotification and lease of land in
Gurgaon to Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.
BJP chief Nitin Gadkari charged Congress president Sonia
Gandhi, her son and party general secretary Rahul and daughter
Priyanka Vadhra of taking more than five acres of panchayat
land in Haryana's Ullahawas village on lease for a rent of Rs
3 lakh per annum.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and
Priyanka Vadhra are trustees of the charitable body.
"All laws were set aside by the Hooda government to give
this land worth Rs 50 crore on lease to the Gandhi family. The
land was denotified before it was leased to Sonia Gandhi,
Rahul and daughter Priyanka. Why this double standards of the
Gandhi family?" Gadkari alleged.
The land, which belonged to the panchayat and hence was
a collective property of the village, was reportedly alloted
to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and one H R Sachdeva, a
dentist alleged to be close to the Gandhi family.
A case is pending in the court on the matter.
"If Yeddyurappa had to resign due to denotification of
a land, the Hooda government should also resign for
denotifying this property," Gadkari said.
He insisted that his party will appeal to the Haryana
High Court that all aspects of this deal should be
investigated by a Special Investigation Team. He also demanded
that a retired judge conduct a probe into all land acquired by
the Hooda government during its tenure.
"We also demand that the land scams in Uttar Pradesh
should be inquired into. Rahul Gandhi did a 'padyatra' (march)
there," Gadkari said, alluding to the Congress leader having
different sets of norms for UP and Haryana.
Rahul Gandhi had visited Bhatta-Parsaul in Greater
Noida to meet the farmers whose land had been acquired by the
Mayawati government without paying adequate compensation.
Gadkari maintained that during the court proceedings
when the judge wanted to know names of the trustees of Rajiv
Gandhi Charitable Trust, the lawyers were reluctant to name
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka.
"When we want land for the Deen Dayal Trust there is a
hue and cry but not for this Trust. Why this drama about land
acquisitions? On the one hand, they are fighting for land
rights and on the other they are taking away this land. The
matter should be investigated," Gadkari said.
Asked if BJP would raise this issue in Parliament,
Gadkari said he has raised his voice on this matter and his
party would bring it up in the House.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, August 03, 2011, 16:03