Hours after senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged that Bhujbals’ wealth had gone up 100 times since 2009 and that their companies had not been filing IT returns in recent years, Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday threatened to file a defamation case against Somaiya for allegedly tarnishing his and his family members’ image ahead of the lok Sabha polls.
Though this is not the first time that he has accused Bhujbal of having amassed large chunk of wealth during the recent years, Somaiya sought to lend credence to his allegations against Bhujbals, by saying that he had submitted “proof” of his allegations in memoranda submitted separately to State Chief Secretary JS Saharia, Pravin Dixit, the Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sadanand Date.
Talking to mediapersons after submitting the memoranda, along with “proof” of his allegations against to the State Chief Secretary, ACB chief and Joint CP (crime), Somaiya charged that the wealth of Chhagan Bhujbal, his son Pankaj Bhujbal and nephew Sameer Bhujbal had gone up from a collective Rs21 crore — as mentioned in the affidavits filed in the 2009 elections before the Election Commission – to Rs2,655 crore.
While Chhagan Bhujbal and his son Pankaj had contested and won the 2009 State Assembly polls from Yevla and Nandgason constituencies respectively, his nephew Sameer successfully contested 2009 lok Sabha poll from Nashik constituency. Somaiya alleged that some of the companies owned by the Bhujbal family had not filed returns in recent years. They included: Ideen Furniture Pvt ltd, Parvesh Construction Pvt ltd, Devisha Infrastructure Pvt ltd, Intellectual Management Consultant Pvt ltd and Bhavesh Builders Pvt ltd.
In a statement issued within hours after Somaiya alleged that he and his family members had amassed substantial wealth during the last five years, Chhagan Bhujbal stated: “Somaiya is used to making such wild allegations against me.. With an eye on the forthcoming lok Sabha polls, Somaiya has indulged in mud-slinging against me. The allegations made Somaiya are baseless and I deny them. I am going to file a defamation case against him (Somaiya)”
Justifying the increased value of the companies owned by his family, Bhujbal said: “It is but natural that the value of any property goes up with the passage of time. If the value of my family properties has gone up, then it is no crime. But, the valuation of my properties made by Somaiya is far from reality…. If the value of family properties has gone up multi fold in a manner Somaiya is making it out to be, I am ready to offer the properties valued by him at 10 per cent of the amounts mentioned by him”.
Bhujbal said that all companies owned by his family had filed their Income Tax returns and the balance sheets with the authorities concerned and that his family had purchased properties at prevalent market rates.