'Vasundhara Raje illegally occupied Dholpur Palace': Cong attack is baseless, says BJP

New Delhi/Jaipur: Mounting pressure on her on the Lalit Modi controversy, Congress on Monday accused Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje of “forcible, illegal occupation” of the Dholpur Palace along with Lalit Modi through a private company, a charge refuted by BJP. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh claimed in Delhi that Hemant Singh, the estranged husband of Raje, had admitted before a court that the palace was the property of the Rajasthan government. [caption id=“attachment_2303696” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Reuters[/caption] He told reporters that several revenue department documents between 1954 and 2010 showed that the palace was a government property but Raje and Lalit Modi’s company has turned it into a “high end luxury hotel” and invested Rs 100 crore with no role of the state government. Incidentally, this has happened post 2009 when the state was ruled by Congress. In Jaipur, State BJP president Ashok Parnami and Rajasthan Health Minister Rajendra Rathore rejected the charge levelled by Ramesh that the Dholpur Palace does not belong to Dushyant. Contesting Ramesh’s claim, Parnami displayed before reporters documents which, he said, clearly proved that Hemant Singh had handed over the custody of the palace to Dushyant. He said court documents were there to substantiate this. Ramesh said that Raje in her 2013 assembly poll affidavit had admitted having shares of the Niyant Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd along with her MP son Dushyant Singh and daughter-in-law Niharika, and Lalit Modi. “The election affidavit reflects that she own 3280 shares, her son and daughter-in-law about 3225 shares each and Lalit Modi’s company Ananda Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd 815 shares, establishing the financial relationship, partnership and investment of overseas money from a tax haven,” he said. He said it proved her business partnership with the former IPL chief, who is now a “fugitive”. The Congress leader alleged that Lalit Modi had used the “Mauritius route” to invest in the company. He also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “Swami Maunendra Baba” for his continued silence over the Lalitgate issue. Congress has been demanding resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Raje over Lalitgate, of HRD Minister Smriti Irani over misrepresenting facts about her educational qualification in separate election affidavits and of Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde for her alleged involvement in a “scam” by clearing purchases worth Rs 206 crore on a single day instead of inviting tenders in violation of the norms. On Hemant Singh’s charge that Raje was making false claims, Parnami said,“We have affidavits signed by Hemant Singh regarding handing over (of the Dholpur palace and taking over. Hemant Singh is now making false statements.” “All documents presented by us before the media have been authenticated,” he said. PTI