Goel refutes AAP charges, cries foul

BJP leader Vijay Goel on Wednesday termed all allegations of the Aam Aadmi Party as totally baseless and false. Goel defended himself by saying that it is entirely false that he didn’t pay North MCD a tax of Rs 25 crore. 

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Goel said that the AAP leaders, who were involved in several scandals themselves, are making such allegations out of guilt and instead of promoting the conservation of heritage, they are criticising the efforts of their promotion. 

Goel said that the North MCD’s decision to exempt the heritage buildings from the conversion charges is a welcome decision and should be appreciated. In order to contain the depletion of the glorious heritage buildings in Chandni Chowk, there is need for more such steps and exemptions from levy of various taxes. The AAP on Tuesday had accused the North MCD of exempting taxes amounting to Rs 25 crore to a property belonging to Vijay Goel, a move, it said, will prove to be an economic burden on the already cash-strapped civic body.

At a news conference, AAP’s Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey had alleged that the decision was initially taken to benefit the heritage building owned by Goel in Old Delhi, but similar concessions were later extended to 749 other buildings in the area, which resulted in losses to the tune of around Rs 2,500 crore.