ID :
176799
Wed, 04/20/2011 - 13:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/176799
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Shanti Bhushan lands in fresh controversy
New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) A fresh controversy involving
anti-corruption campaigner Shanti Bhushan broke out Wednesday
over allotment of priced farmhouse plots to him and his son
Jayant in nearby Noida in northern India and demands have
cropped for the lawyer's resignation from the joint committee
to draft the Lokpal Bill.
Congress and Samajwadi Party questioned the allotment
of farmhouses to Bhushans and suggested that Shanti Bhushan
should withdraw himself from the Joint Committee to draft
Lokpal Bill.
The controversy arose after reports were published
Wednesday that the Bhushans have been allotted 10,000 sq metre
plots valued at Rs 3.5 crore each to them by the government of
northern state of Uttar Pradesh in 2009.
Both the Bhushans were quoted in a newspaper that
there was no transparency in the scheme and allotments were
made without any clear criterion.
Jayant, who appeared against UP government in the case
relating to installing of statues in a Noida park, also
admitted that the allotment was arbitrary but there was no
question of conflict for him.
Reacting to the controversy the senior Bhushan alleged
that some "corrupt, important" politicians were behind the
allegations as it will be impossible for them to draft a
"soft" Lokpal Bill if he was present in the drafting
committee, which he co-chairs.
He said he has not sought any preferential treatment
or any discretionary quota for getting land alloted to him and
Jayanth, also a lawyer.
"Public applications were invited...It is clear that
it is part of a campaign by some corrupt important politicians
that if I remain on the joint committee, it will not be
possible for them to draft a soft law.
"(If I am there) they will be compelled to draft a
really tough law against corruption. Probably those
politicians are feeling jittery. The real intention seems to
be to derail the process (of drafting the Lokpal Bill)," he
said.
The fresh allegations came days after the eminent
lawyer was embroiled in another controversy when a "fake" CD
surfaced in which he was said to be having conversations with
political leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh over
fixing a case. He had denied the allegations.
Vikas Singh, a former Additional Solicitor General who
had applied for a farmhouse plot and filed a case in the
Allahabad High Court of UP against the allotment, said he had
been writing to the Noida authorities on allotment of these
developed plots for a song.
"I was raising this issue for the past six-seven
months. These were not being auctioned. These are all
developed areas. There will be a clamour for such plots," he
said.
In his reaction, Jayant said if there were more
applicants than the plots available, then there should have
been draw of lots.
Reacting to the controversy, Uttar Pradesh Congress
chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, "We welcome the efforts of
Anna Hazare on Lokpal Bill but they (Bhushans) and their
family members will have to answer the questions that are
being raised. This raises doubts in the mind of common people.
"If a doubt creeps once in the mind of people that a
particular person does not have a very clean life, such
persons should voluntarily withdraw from this process (of
drafting Lokpal Bill," she said.
She also said that there was no dearth of
knowledgeable and talented lawyers as well as patriots in the
country and hence any other person can be made a member of
the committee.
National Spokesperson of Samajwadi Party Mohan Singh
said that when Shanti Bhushan himself admitted that he had
heard bribes passed hands for these allotments "then why did
he accept the plots."
"Not only his son but even Shanti Bhushan was allotted
plot. According to him there was no draw for this allotment
and it was done directly. He himself says that bribes passed
hands for it...When the bribe was given as per confession, why
did he accept such a plot," Singh said.
Former Indian Police Services officer Kiran Bedi
alleged there appeared to be powers working against the
committee. "It seems that certain people do not want a Lokpal
Committee. I do not understand why an issue is being made when
it seems that a regular procedure was followed."
anti-corruption campaigner Shanti Bhushan broke out Wednesday
over allotment of priced farmhouse plots to him and his son
Jayant in nearby Noida in northern India and demands have
cropped for the lawyer's resignation from the joint committee
to draft the Lokpal Bill.
Congress and Samajwadi Party questioned the allotment
of farmhouses to Bhushans and suggested that Shanti Bhushan
should withdraw himself from the Joint Committee to draft
Lokpal Bill.
The controversy arose after reports were published
Wednesday that the Bhushans have been allotted 10,000 sq metre
plots valued at Rs 3.5 crore each to them by the government of
northern state of Uttar Pradesh in 2009.
Both the Bhushans were quoted in a newspaper that
there was no transparency in the scheme and allotments were
made without any clear criterion.
Jayant, who appeared against UP government in the case
relating to installing of statues in a Noida park, also
admitted that the allotment was arbitrary but there was no
question of conflict for him.
Reacting to the controversy the senior Bhushan alleged
that some "corrupt, important" politicians were behind the
allegations as it will be impossible for them to draft a
"soft" Lokpal Bill if he was present in the drafting
committee, which he co-chairs.
He said he has not sought any preferential treatment
or any discretionary quota for getting land alloted to him and
Jayanth, also a lawyer.
"Public applications were invited...It is clear that
it is part of a campaign by some corrupt important politicians
that if I remain on the joint committee, it will not be
possible for them to draft a soft law.
"(If I am there) they will be compelled to draft a
really tough law against corruption. Probably those
politicians are feeling jittery. The real intention seems to
be to derail the process (of drafting the Lokpal Bill)," he
said.
The fresh allegations came days after the eminent
lawyer was embroiled in another controversy when a "fake" CD
surfaced in which he was said to be having conversations with
political leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh over
fixing a case. He had denied the allegations.
Vikas Singh, a former Additional Solicitor General who
had applied for a farmhouse plot and filed a case in the
Allahabad High Court of UP against the allotment, said he had
been writing to the Noida authorities on allotment of these
developed plots for a song.
"I was raising this issue for the past six-seven
months. These were not being auctioned. These are all
developed areas. There will be a clamour for such plots," he
said.
In his reaction, Jayant said if there were more
applicants than the plots available, then there should have
been draw of lots.
Reacting to the controversy, Uttar Pradesh Congress
chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, "We welcome the efforts of
Anna Hazare on Lokpal Bill but they (Bhushans) and their
family members will have to answer the questions that are
being raised. This raises doubts in the mind of common people.
"If a doubt creeps once in the mind of people that a
particular person does not have a very clean life, such
persons should voluntarily withdraw from this process (of
drafting Lokpal Bill," she said.
She also said that there was no dearth of
knowledgeable and talented lawyers as well as patriots in the
country and hence any other person can be made a member of
the committee.
National Spokesperson of Samajwadi Party Mohan Singh
said that when Shanti Bhushan himself admitted that he had
heard bribes passed hands for these allotments "then why did
he accept the plots."
"Not only his son but even Shanti Bhushan was allotted
plot. According to him there was no draw for this allotment
and it was done directly. He himself says that bribes passed
hands for it...When the bribe was given as per confession, why
did he accept such a plot," Singh said.
Former Indian Police Services officer Kiran Bedi
alleged there appeared to be powers working against the
committee. "It seems that certain people do not want a Lokpal
Committee. I do not understand why an issue is being made when
it seems that a regular procedure was followed."
