BJP MPs gave MPLAD funds to party offices: Brijendra Ola

Jhunjhunu: Days after BJP accused three Congress MPs of using their local area development funds in neighbouring Haryana, Jhunjhunu MP Brijendra Ola dismissed the allegeations and said the alleged "diversion" of funds was as per law authorised by the BJP-led Modi govt. Ola also said that while he used the funds for public welfare, several BJP MPs gave their funds to BJP offices, without clarifying how they were eventually used. Ola also did not name the concerned BJP MPs.
Speaking to the press in Jhunjhunu Sunday, Ola said, "Representatives of the SC and OBC community from Kaithal met me. This amount was sanctioned on their demand. There is no politics in this," he said, adding that other MPs had similarly funded Rs 1.5 crore worth of development works from their MPLAD funds in Jhunjhunu. Citing an August 2024 order by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Ola said the BJP had bumped up the amount MPs were allowed to spend outside their designated constituencies to Rs 50 lakh — up from a ceiling of 5% of total authorisation in a financial year. "I brought around Rs 1.5 crore from other MPs for my parliamentary constituency, Jhunjhunu. In fact, five Rajya Sabha MPs of BJP also gave funds in other areas. Some BJP MPs even gave MP fund for their BJP offices, while I only recommended Rs 24 lakh for public welfare," Ola said. Last week, BJP IT department chief Amit Malviya had accused three Rajasthan Congress MPs — Sanjana Jatav, Rahul Kaswan and Ola of routing Rs 1.2 crore from their MPLAD quota to Kaithal assembly constituency in Haryana, of which Aditya Singh Surjewala is MLA. Surjewala is the son of Congress' Rajya Sabha MP and former communications chief, Randeep Singh Surjewala. Ola, meanwhile, clarified that he had recommended four development works worth Rs 24.7 lakh from his MPLAD funds, including the construction of a thermocol shed for stamp vendors, typists, and common people in Kaithal court premises, road and drain construction, for the construction of a shed at a chaupal in a rural area, and towards 30 chairs, 30 tables, bookshelves, along with a water cooler for a public library.