Former Mumbai Congress chief embarrasses party leaders in ruling MVA Govt
Mumbai: The Congress party an alliance partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray faced acute embarrassment on Thursday when party’s former Mumbai unit president Sanjay Nirupam targeted Thackeray and sought probe in the land purchase deal related to the construction of Matoshree-2 located in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). Nirupam alleged that the land seller Rajbhushan Dixit could have laundered the money obtained through the dealing with Thackeray.
Nirupam in his tweets has alleged about a nexus between Thackeray and Dixit. Dixit is an accused in Sterling Biotech money laundering case.
According to Nirupam, Dixit was paid just Rs 5.8 crore against the land for Matoshree-2. He claimed the land is located in a prime location in BKC and as per Mumbai property market experts, declared value of the property is too less.
He said it was purchased by the rate of Rs 10,000 per square feet and beyond cheque payments, major transactions had been done in cash. Thackeray had purchased the said land in 2016 from Dixit’s Platinum Infrastructure.
The plot which Thackeray has purchased from Dixit’s firm to construct Matoshree-2 originally belonged to renowned artist K K Hebbar. After the death of Hebbar and his wife, their children sold it to Platinum Infrastructure owned by Rajbhushan Dixit in 2007.
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Dixit was also director of Sterling Biotech which has been accused of money laundering to the tune of Rs 14,000 crores. Congress leader Ahmed Patel was also questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over his connection with the promoters of the Sterling Biotech company.
Dixit has been arrested in this case and chargesheet has been filed against him in money laundering case. Nirupam claimed that the brother of Rajbhushan was also accused and now absconding.
Nirupam also demanded that the ED should investigate the land deal between Dixit and Thackeray. “ED must probe whether the process of the deal was laundered by Rajbhushan Dixit and his brother. And for that a thorough enquiry into the property deal is required,” he demanded.
Shiv Sena leader and Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sawant refuted allegations leveled by Nirupam. Sawant said, “No one takes Nirupam seriously even in his own party. Why should we? Also, he should not forget that it was Shiv Sena that gave him his first big political opportunity.”
For Congress, it was an embarrassing issue. At the Centre, the Congress claimed its vindictive politics as party leader Ahmed Patel was questioned in a money laundering case and in connection with the directors of Sterling Biotech. On the other hand, Nirupam has demanded a probe into the deal between CM Thackeray and Rajbhushan Dixit.
Meanwhile, state Congress and its ally NCP has chosen not to give any reaction on Sanjay Nirupam’s allegations. Nirupam has kept a distance from Maha Vikas Aghadi and has never missed an opportunity to criticise the Thackeray government and his own party leaders from Maharashtra.
