VIP facilities, says BJP over Jain video from Tihar; AAP hits back
NEW DELHI: A video of Delhi minister Satyendar Jain was circulated on social media in which he is seen getting a massage from an inmate in his cell inside Tihar, sparking a sharp offensive from the Bharatiya Janata Party amid allegation that he was being given special treatment in prison.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video, ostensibly recorded by a CCTV camera inside the prison on September 13.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that the video shows that Jain was being treated as a VIP in prison.
“Why is this massage being provided to the prisoner? Why is Jain not in the jail uniform meant for prisoners? The video shows four people in Jain’s cell. Why are so many people being allowed in the cell? The chief minister should answer this,” he said.
At least 28 prison officials posted in Tihar jail number 7, where Jain is lodged, were transferred on Wednesday. Two days earlier, jail superintendent Ajit Kumar was suspended for his alleged role in circumventing rules to give special facilities to
PATNA: The Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar, which found itself stripped of power in August this year, has alleged vendetta in eviction notices issued to the leader of opposition in assembly and two former deputy chief ministers by the building construction department (BCD).
State BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal wondered why only BJP leaders, including former deputy CMs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi, and former Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha were being asked to vacate their residential premises even though those from other parties have been allowed to stay put in ministerial bungalows despite being removed from the cabinet.
BCD minister Ashok Chaudhary, however, said eviction notices were served as per stipulated norms. “Former deputy CMs have been allotted new houses of their choices, which are being renovated as per their instructions,” Chaudhary said.
The BCD had earlier sent notices to Prasad, Renu Devi and Sinha to immediately vacate the houses that were allotted to him in their previous capacities and slapped fines for the overstaying.
Renu Devi, who had been allotted 3 Stand Road as the deputy CM, has been asked to pay the penalty of ₹2.36 lakh for overstaying. The bungalow has now been allotted to environment minister and Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav.
A senior official of BCD, who is supervising renovation of houses allotted to BJP seniors, said they were given one month’s time to vacate the houses previously allotted to them. “As per norms, the department slaps penalty of up to 30 times the usual rent of the premises in case of overstay. The new norms have been in force for the past five years. The BCD minister, however, has the discretion to reconsider the penalty and grant relief for the three months after the standard one-month time,” said the official, pleading anonymity.
Tarkishore Prasad’s residence, 5 Deshratna Marg, has now been allotted to deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, while the latter’s 1 Polo Road bungalow has been allotted to Vijay Kumar Sinha in his capacity as the opposition leader.
Incumbent assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary is waiting to be shifted in the officially designated house, which is occupied by Sinha.
Opposition leader Sinha, meanwhile, attacked the Nitish Kumar dispensation for asking them (BJP leaders) to vacate the houses without making any alternative arrangements. “How can we leave the houses if the residences allotted to us were not vacated,” he said.
An RJD leader, who didn’t wish to be identified, sought to remind BJP how the state government, of which it was a part then, had moved the Supreme Court and thrown out belongings of former ministers.
How can we leave the houses if the residences allotted to us were not vacated
VIJAY KUMAR SINHA , Leader of Opposition