AAP dares BJP to come clean on “₹15,000-crore MCD land scam”

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make public the names of persons who own flats on a controversial plot of land in Delhi, which was allegedly transferred illegally from the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (the MCD was split into three units- north, east and south in 2012) to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

“We want the names of the flat-owners to be made public. Can the BJP say that their leaders don’t own any flats on that land?” AAP spokesperson Dilip Pandey asked mediapersons at a press conference in New Delhi.

The 95-acre plot in question is in Khyber Pass, Civil Lines. AAP claims that it is worth at least Rs 15,000 crore. “The land is currently being developed by Parsvanath Builders, a private developer,” said Pandey.

The MCD-North has claimed that the DMRC was allotted the land at Khyber Pass by the Ministry of Urban Development (land and development Office), government of India, on November 15, 1999 for the construction of the Khyber Pass depot. A piece of the land was auctioned by the DMRC for residential development, pursuant to the ministry of urban development’s gazette notification of 2003, the MCD-North claimed.

The ruling party in Delhi also came down heavily on the recently-constituted three-member committee to investigate the alleged illegal transfer, terming the probe as an attempted cover-up.

“They want the subordinates within the agency to investigate charges against MCD-North Commissioner Madhup Vyas. They should order an independent probe into the matter,” said Pandey.

The three-member probe committee will be headed by Additional Commissioner (Engineering) SK Bhandari, with Additional Commissioner UB Tripathi and Chief Vigilance Officer Deepak Purohit as its members.

“AAP will raise this issue forcefully in forthcoming Delhi Assembly session and in Parliament. We will gherao the BJP’s offices and at national and state level,” said Pandey.

The alleged land scam came to light after a former MCD-North official, Renu Jagdev, wrote a letter on May 18 to Mayor Aadesh Gupta. In her letter, Jagdev had levelled allegations of misconduct and corruption against the Commissioner of MCD-North, Madhup Vyas. Jagdev was recently transferred to her parent cadre from the MCD-North.

AAP said in a statement that Jagdev was “punished” for blowing the whistle on the scam by being relieved of her charge as Additional Commissioner.

“This entire episode raises serious questions on the role of the BJP leadership, the L-G and senior bureaucrats who relinquished claim of ₹ 15,000 crores worth of land belonging to the MCD leading to windfall gain to a private builder,” said the party.

Congress has joined hands with AAP in demanding an independent probe into allegations of graft. Congress’ leader in MCD-North, Mukesh Goel, reportedly said, “Corruption at the top level could not be possible without the involvement of BJP leaders, who are pulling the strings from the back.”

The AAP dared the BJP, the LG and Delhi’s Chief Secretary to come clean on the following questions:

• Who owns these 95 acres of land and who allowed the handing over of this land to a private builder?
• Since when have the L-G, Delhi Chief Secretary and BJP leadership been aware of this mega scam?
• Could this land have been transferred without the knowledge of the L-G, Chief Secretary and the BJP leadership in MCDs?
• At which level was the decision taken to transfer this land? Who authorised it?
• Why are all the authorities silent on this mega scam?