BJP's land buys ahead of note ban sparks row

PATNA: JD-U and RJD on Friday demanded a probe into the purchase of land by BJP worth crores of rupees in different districts of Bihar weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of 1000-rupee and 500-rupee notes.

The plots were purchased in the name of BJP legislators Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, Sanjeev Chaurasia and Lal Babu Prasad.

While Chaurasia admitted that the plots of land were purchased on the central leadership's directive for constructing party offices in respective districts, former deputy chief minister and senior BJP member Sushil Kumar Modi said the deals were made in a transparent manner.

JD(U) demanded a judicial probe into the mattter and also called for an inquiry by a joint parliamentary committee to ascertain if black money was used for purchasing land in Bihar.

"On perusal of the papers related to the land registry, it is apparent that the plots were purchased at the directiveof top BJP functionaries," Janata Dal (United) spokespersons Sanjay Singh and Neeraj Kumar told reporters.

They said BJP spent Rs4.7 crore to purchase land in Lakhisarai district on September 6, in Madhubani and Madhepura on September 14, in Katihar on September 16 and in Kishanganj and Arwal on September 19.