The Bharatiya Janta Party, led by senior leader Sushil Kumar Modi, on Monday appealed to the Election Commission to disqualify Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav from the state Assembly for allegedly not fully disclosing his assets in the election affidavit during the 2015 polls, Deccan Herald reported.
“Tej Pratap did not mention his Aurangabad properties in the affidavit,” Modi was quoted as saying by The Times of India. “We have requested the EC to probe the allegations and take legal action under relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act and the IPC.”
Sushil Modi said a property worth Rs 55 lakh in Bihar’s Aurangabad district was registered in Tej Pratap’s name in 2010, but was not mentioned in the affidavit. “An affidavit is a declaration on oath that there is nothing to hide, and Tej Pratap’s act tantamounts to a criminal breach. That is why we have demanded his disqualification,” Modi alleged.
The BJP leader further claimed that an automobile showroom is currently functional at the Aurangabad land. Modi requested the election watchdog to get a criminal case registered against the state health minister, who is the son of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Sushil Modi levelled similar allegations against Tej Pratap’s brother and deputy chief minister of Bihar, Tejaswi Yadav, as well, claiming that he had not declared his complete assets either. “We are in the process of collecting more papers, after which we shall approach the EC again,” he added.
Repeated claims of undeclared assets
The BJP leader has been making public details of undeclared assets allegedly owned by Lalu Yadav’s family in and outside Bihar, including in Delhi.
On June 20, the Income Tax Department had attached 12 plots of land belonging to Lalu Yadav’s family members, including daughter Misa Bharti, her husband Shailesh, sisters Ragini and Chanda Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi.
The I-T Department is investigating the Rs 1,000-crore benami land deals and tax evasion case, in which Yadav and his family are believed to have a hand. The department has charged his family members under the Benami Transactions Act.
A benami property is one bought in a certain person’s name though the real beneficiary is someone else.
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