Ahead of the vice-presidential polls, the Congress on Monday charged NDA’s nominee Venkaiah Naidu with irregularities involving him and his family in land deals.
Addressing the media here, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh demanded answers from Naidu, since he always spoke of transparency and probity.
Accusing Naidu of land grabbing in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district that was reserved for the poor, destitute and landless, he said the BJP leader was “forced” to return this land after public protests and political pressure.
Ramesh also alleged that on June 20, 2017, the Telangana government issued a “secret order” exempting the “Swarna Bharat Trust” of Naidu’s daughter from paying development charges of more than Rs 2 crore to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.
He alleged further that in July 2014, the Telangana Government placed an order of Rs 271 crore without inviting tenders for purchase of vehicles for the police from two car dealers - Harsha Toyota owned by Naidu’s son and Himanshu Motors owned by Telangana Chief Minister’s son.
“Is it not a fact that such an order was placed in contravention of all rules and without even floating a tenderIJ” he asked.
Ramesh also said that the Supreme Court on April 6, 2011 quashed the allotment of 20 acres of land to “Kushabhau Thakre Memorial Trust” of which Naidu was chairman.
He said the Supreme Court also passed strictures against the Madhya Pradesh government in alloting this land in Bhopal on September 25, 2004. “I think it is incumbent upon Venkaiah Naidu, it is incumbent upon the BJP to provide satisfactory answers, the nation wants to know,” he said.
“Those holding the highest public offices must fully disclose their ‘interests’ as also ‘special treatment’ in the shape of state largesse for themselves and for their kith and kin,” Ramesh said in his written statement.