Lalit case: Congress piles pressure on Raje
Chief minister illegally occupying Dholpur Palace, Ramesh says
Mounting pressure on Rajasthan’s chief minister in the Lalit Modi controversy, Congress yesterday accused Vasundhra Raje of “forcible, illegal occupation” of the Dholpur Palace along with Lalit Modi through a private company, a charge refuted by BJP.
Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh claimed in Delhi that Hemant Singh, the estranged husband of Raje, had admitted before a court that the palace was the property of the Rajasthan government.
He told reporters that several revenue department documents between 1954 and 2010 showed that the palace was a government property but Raje and Lalit Modi’s company has turned it into a “high end luxury hotel” and invested Rs1 billion (Dh57 million) without involving the state government. Incidentally, this has happened post2009 when the state was ruled by Congress.
In Jaipur, State BJP president Ashok Parnami and Rajasthan Health Minister Rajendra Rathore rejected the charge levelled by Ramesh that the Dholpur Palace does not belong to Dushyant.
Contesting Ramesh’s claim, Parnami displayed before reporters documents which, he said, clearly proved that Hemant Singh had handed over the custody of the palace to Dushyant. He said court documents were there to substantiate this.
Ramesh said that Raje in her 2013 assembly poll affidavit had admitted having shares of the Niyant Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd along with her MP son Dushyant Singh and daughter-in-law Niharika, and Lalit Modi.
“The election affidavit reflects that she own 3280 shares, her son and daughter-in-law about 3225 shares each and Lalit Modi’s company Ananda Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd 815 shares, establishing the financial relationship, partnership and investment of overseas money from a tax haven,” he said.