Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “stealing” a dead man’s plot of land, the Congress on Sunday alleged that the PM had submitted wrong information to the Election Commission about the plot allotted to him in Gandhinagar.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera claimed that Modi was asked which of the plots belonged to him, pointing out that in the first affidavit in 2002, he said it was plot number 411, then said 401/A in the next affidavit, which found no mention of number 411.  The Congress had earlier also alleged irregularities in the disclosure which the BJP had strongly rejected.

Khera said that BJP in a tweet had clarified that the plots were amalgamated.  “Four plots were amalgamated. These are allotted plots which have been given by the Gujarat government to its MLAs, MPs and its chosen people...Now, even Modiji has written in his affidavit that these plots were amalgamated. We made enquiries, we found that these plots can’t be transferred or sold. So if they can’t be transferred then how can they be amalgamated,” he asked.

Reacting to the allegations made earlier in April, the BJP had said that four plots purchased by four different people were amalgamated into one on April 25, 2008, stating that the number of the amalgamated plot was different from the separate individual numbers. “What is shocking is that the person whose plot has been amalgamated with the PM’s is the former BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy. He died in September 2007. It was only seven months after it that his plot was amalgamated with Modi’s.

“Tell, me can a dead man give his nod to this? We demand proof from you...The chowkidar has stolen the plot of a dead man and did not give true information about this in his affidavit. That is why we repeatedly say that ‘chowkidaar chor hai’,” he alleged.

Khera also said the land allotment was in 2002 when Modi was chief minister of Gujarat. He claimed that BJP leader and advocate Meenakshi Lekhi has also told the Supreme Court that no allotments for plots had been done post 2000.

“They are full of lies. The first lie was that I (PM) have ownership of 1/4th of the land, second lie was amalgamation... Amalgamation is illegal. Present the proof of amalgamation,” the Congress leader said. “Did Jana Krishnamurthy give his consent for this seven months after his death...The country wants to know which property papers are in your bag and which address will you be going to,” he asked.