BJP accuses Kapil Sibal of land scam

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday alleged that senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal and his wife are involved in a land scam.

According to a media report, the duo acquired a piece of land valued at Rs 89 crore in New Delhi municipal area by paying much less amount for acquiring the holding company, when Sibal was the Union Law Minister during the tenure of the Congress party.

The Union Minister said that Sibal had a business deal with a person who was accused of money laundering.

"The person who was being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for bribery during the UPA government and against whom South African journalists levelled charges of money laundering, from him Kapil Sibal and his wife got ownership of a company named Grande Castello Private Limited," BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani told media, quoting the report.

Irani added, "Is it so natural for the Congress leadership today to embrace money launderer, to shake hand with those that they had investigated for bribery?"

The media report said that Sibal and his wife allegedly bought 100 percent shares -50 percent each - in a company that had a paid-up capital of Rs one lakh.

"The company, Grande Castello Private Limited, owns the land in Delhi that was cost at Rs 89 crore in the books of the company before the acquisition," the report quoted.

On a related note, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi are also accused of acquiring properties at lower prices in the National Herald case.

Moreover, Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and son-in-law Robert Vadra are also involved in controversies relating to land deals.