Cong's new attack on Raje: CM illegally converted Dholpur palace into private property, says Jairam Ramesh

Upping the ante against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the Lalit Modi controversy, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday slammed Raje and said that there is ‘physical’ evidence that the CM is a “business partner of the absconder Lalit Modi.”

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Ramesh called the Raje-Modi links in the transfer of the Dholpur palace property a bizarre example of “private-private partnership.”

“This is a private-private partnership to manage a public property, without any revenues accruing to the Government of Rajasthan. This is a bizarre PPP,” he said.

The senior Congress leader also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the issue.

“Governmental property was converted to personal assets by Lalit Modi and Vasundhara Raje,” Ramesh said, adding, “We sadly have to state that Vasundhara Raje’s husband in 1980 made a statement saying Dholpur Mahal belongs to the state. Raje and her family hold shares in Niyant Hotels. She stated in 2013 poll affidavit that Lalit Modi holds shares too.”

Ramesh slammed the Rajasthan CM and said that the blame game between Raje and Lalit Modi had been on for the last 15 days and she has finally accepted that the signatures were hers.

“Vasundhara Raje’s husband in a statement in court in 1980 said that the Dholpur Palace wasn’t personal property, it belonged to the government. Up until 2010 Dholpur Mahal was declared government property 6 times, starting from 1954. In 2013, Vasundhara Raje said that Lalit Modi has 815 shares. We will put these documents in front of the people of this country,” he said.

“Iske baad agar Maunendra Dhritarahstra banna chahtey hain toh unki marzi hai. (After this if Maunendra wants to remain a Dhritarahstra then it’s his choice) It is not a question of if Vasundhara Raje will quit as Rajasthan chief minister, but when and how? Based on these documents, it is imperative for Vasundhara Raje to quit as chief minister,” Ramesh told the media on Monday.

He said that despite the palace being a government property Raje and Modi proceeded to convert it into a high-end private luxury hotel.

“This is the fourth episode in the serial of Vasudhara Raje and the fugitive Lalit Modi. The first episode established Vasudhara Raje and Lalit Modi were business partners. The second episode established that Lalit Modi got Rs 21 crore from Mauritius and invested in Dushyant Singh’s company. The third established that Vasundhara Raje signed a seven-page document for UK authorities to help Lalit Modi. What we are saying today is despite Dholpur City Palace being property of government, Raje & Lalit Modi proceeded to convert it into a high-end private luxury hotel,” Ramesh added. The Indian Express earlier had reported that Raje’s son, Dushyant Raje in his 2009 election affidavit made no mention of his company Niyant Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd or the crores of rupees it received in unsecured loans from Lalit Modi’s company Ananda Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd. Dushyant had set up Niyant Hotels in 2005, the report further added.

The BJP earlier had backed Raje by saying that her shares in Niyant Hotels were given as gifts from her son and daughter-in-law.

“Dushyant [Singh> ji and his wife Niharika are the share holders in the Niyant Heritage Pvt Ltd. Niharika from her personal shareholdings gifted 1,615 shares to Vasundhara Raje on her birthday. Along with that, her son Dushyan 1,665 shares had gifted to her. This has been transferred from their personal share holding,” Rajasthan BJP president Ashok Parnami had told ANI on Friday.