The Maharashtra government has ordered for an investigation into the use of a plot of land allotted to the Associated Journals Ltd., which owned the now-defunct National Herald newspaper. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “We will conduct an inquiry, and if irregularity is observed, action will be taken in accordance with law.”
AJL was allotted a prime property in suburban Bandra in 1983 to set up a public library and research centre, Mumbai Mirror reported. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged that the land was used to construct a commercial building instead. In a letter to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation chief Ajoy Mehta, BJP Secretary Vivekanand Gupta said, “The building plan makes no mention of a newspaper office, a library or a research centre. It is surprising that the concessions to the building plan were moved with lightning speed.”
The building is also mentioned as “Congress Bhavan” in Fire Brigade records. There was speculation that the Congress, which was in power then, allowed the land to be used for commercial purposes in 2001. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam tweeted, "This is a political stunt by BJP-Shiv Sena Govt, the plot which was allocated to AJL years ago is as per law."
However, speaking to Times Now, BJP leader Shaina NC clarified that the case was not a strike against the Gandhis. “This is not about the Congress. This is about misuse of land,” she said.
News of this probe has surfaced amid a controversy around the National Herald case, in which Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi have been summoned before a trial judge.
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