BJP, Cong get personal in scam-a-day season
24 Oct 2012 8:48 AM IST
Despite the Congress leadership taking the line that they would not open personal fronts against Opposition leaders, senior party leader Digvijaya Singh chose to write to prime minister Manmohan Singh against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari alleging charges of fraud. In retaliation senior BJP leader Arun Jaitly in Shimla levelled money-laundering and forgery charges against Congress leader Virbhadara Singh.
On Tuesday party general secretary Digvijaya Singh submitted 'proofs' to prime minister Manmohan Singh against BJP's Nitin Gadkari alleging his links with Purti Group of companies and demanded that a probe should be conducted into these charges.
Speaking on the issue, Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily said, 'We will inquire if there are any violations.' However, Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit dubbed the matter to be BJP's internal issue and said, 'Nitin Gadkari is the BJP president. It is for the BJP to decide what kind of a president, with what kind of reputation and business issues it wants. This is an internal issue of the party. We leave it to them.'
Almost as a counter, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley launched a scathing attack on former union minister Virbhadra Singh, who leads the Congress campaign in Himachal Pradesh, charging him of forgery and money laundering.
Arun Jaitley said that Virbhadra Singh had modified his income tax returns during 2008-2011 through 'forgery' and increased his income by Rs 6.15 crores. 'Virbhadra Singh has now filed revised income tax returns for three years on March 2, 2012, in which the agricultural income of a few lakhs of rupees as already disclosed has now increased by Rs.6.15 crore. It is by a miracle or forgery. It is not merely a case of corruption or income tax evasion. It is a case of forgery and crime,' Jaitley told reporters.
'It clearly appears that large amounts of cash income have been generated in an unauthorised way, for the benefit of Virbhadra Singh and his family members. The attempt was to deposit this cash in a bank account held by Anand Chauhan (an LIC agent) from where it is paid towards the LIC premiums (of Singh and his family),' added Jaitley.
On Tuesday party general secretary Digvijaya Singh submitted 'proofs' to prime minister Manmohan Singh against BJP's Nitin Gadkari alleging his links with Purti Group of companies and demanded that a probe should be conducted into these charges.
Speaking on the issue, Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily said, 'We will inquire if there are any violations.' However, Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit dubbed the matter to be BJP's internal issue and said, 'Nitin Gadkari is the BJP president. It is for the BJP to decide what kind of a president, with what kind of reputation and business issues it wants. This is an internal issue of the party. We leave it to them.'
Almost as a counter, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley launched a scathing attack on former union minister Virbhadra Singh, who leads the Congress campaign in Himachal Pradesh, charging him of forgery and money laundering.
Arun Jaitley said that Virbhadra Singh had modified his income tax returns during 2008-2011 through 'forgery' and increased his income by Rs 6.15 crores. 'Virbhadra Singh has now filed revised income tax returns for three years on March 2, 2012, in which the agricultural income of a few lakhs of rupees as already disclosed has now increased by Rs.6.15 crore. It is by a miracle or forgery. It is not merely a case of corruption or income tax evasion. It is a case of forgery and crime,' Jaitley told reporters.
'It clearly appears that large amounts of cash income have been generated in an unauthorised way, for the benefit of Virbhadra Singh and his family members. The attempt was to deposit this cash in a bank account held by Anand Chauhan (an LIC agent) from where it is paid towards the LIC premiums (of Singh and his family),' added Jaitley.
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