BJP chief’s son justifies stand over land deal

BHOPAL: It was the usual allegations and counter allegations of corruption between the state BJP chief Prabhat Jha and Congress leader of Opposition, Ajay Singh. But on Monday afternoon, events took a sentimental turn when Prabhat Jha’s son, 24-year-old Tushmul Jha, wrote an emotional letter to his father’s political rival clarifying the details of the Singrauli petrol pump land deal.
On Saturday, the Congress leader of Opposition had claimed that Prabhat Jha acquired a piece of land in Singrauli to start a petrol pump for his son Tushmul, who is a mining engineer. Ajay Singh alleged that Jha misused his position as the state BJP president and purchased the land for Rs 14 lakh only when the market price of the plot was more than Rs 22 lakh. The witnesses to the purchase deal were BJP district president Ram Sumiran Gupta and Anindra Mishra, son of local BJP MP Govind Mishra.
Addressing Ajay Singh as ``kakaji (uncle)’’ and ``kaka sahib’’ five times through the letter dated October 1, 2013, Tushmul argued: ``As a citizen of this country, do I not have the right to start a business after I have completed my studies? If Indian Oil took out tender notices for 618 petrol-pump allotments, could I not have applied for one? Can I not purchase a plot of land to start the petrol pump?’’ He justified that the two-acre plot was purchased from two brothers who owned the land. The sale was registered and an amount of Rs 13.94 lakh was paid. The money was borrowed from his friend Anindra Mishra who is a businessman. Anindra, son of the local BJP MP also runs a petrol pump in the same area. ``I have no knowledge about politics but I am pained by the fact that a seasoned politician such as you who holds the office of leader of opposition and a former minister has tried to drag me and my father into an unsavoury controversy,’’ Tushmul wrote. ``I can give up not one petrol pump but everything for my father.’’
Defending his father Prabhat Jha’s ``selfless services to society’’, Tushmul wrote to Singh, ``I am making you the judge. Along with this letter I am sending you all the documents pertaining to the land deal which you can go through and decide if there is any irregularity. I am ready to give up the petrol pump allotted to me.’’
When TOI contacted Ajay Singh for his reaction to Tushmul Jha’s letter, the Congress leader said: ``I have not received that letter. Everyone seems to have a copy of the letter but I am yet to receive it. I can only comment after I have gone through it.’’
Since May, Ajay Singh and Prabhat Jha have been engaged in corruption allegations each other over deals. Prabhat Jha was the first to claim that Singh was grabbing lands belonging to tribals in his native Sidhi district. In retaliation, Ajay Singh filed a Rs 10 crore defemation suit against the BJP president. On Saturday, Ajay Singh got even levelling misuse of power charges against Prabhat Jha for the petrol pump land deal.
Addressing Ajay Singh as “kakaji” (uncle) and “kaka sahib” five times through the letter, Tushmul argued: ``As a citizen of this country, do I not have the right to start a business after I have completed my studies? If Indian Oil took out tender notices for 618 petrol-pump allotments, could I not have applied for one?’’