Buying land to build offices only, nothing to do with demonetisation: BJP

The BJP on Friday denied allegations by opposition parties that it had used its "black money" in the form of high-denomination notes ahead of demonetisation through a series of property deals across the country, saying that it was purchasing land only to build party offices.

The party termed the activity as "normal" and said that it had been collecting funds for the same for long.

"It is absurd to allege that the party has started buying properties in view of demonetisation," party spokesman and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a statement.

Bihar's ruling Janata Dal United (JD-U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Friday alleged that the BJP managed its black money by purchasing land worth crores of rupees ahead of the note ban and demanded a probe into the land deals.

Prasad said that in the Maha Sampark Abhiyan held in Bangalore on July 5, 2015, party President Amit Shah had emphasised on the need of setting up party offices across the country as "our membership has already crossed 10 crore mark".

"We have taken up work of building party offices. Without a good party office there can be no expansion of party work within a district. Therefore, we have decided that by December 2016, in every organisational district across the country we will construct a new party office.

"As part of its expansion programme, the party president had also made a request to collect funds for this purpose and establish the party offices. He had also urged party workers to contribute generously. The party and its karyakartas have been working relentlessly for the last 16 months to achieve this," said Prasad.

The Minister said that it was "preposterous" to suggest that a "normal activity undertaken by the party as part of its regular and decided agenda" to expand at the grassroot levels had anything to do with the demonetisation scheme which came into effect from November 9.

A local Hindi news channel in Bihar on Thursday telecast a report that the BJP purchased land in 25 districts of Bihar ahead of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes announced on November 8.

According to reports, the BJP purchased land in more than two dozen districts, including Saharsa, Patna, Madhubani, Katihar, Madhepura, Lakhisarai, Kishanganj and Arwal.

The size of the plots acquired ranged from 250 sq feet to about half an acre. Their values range between Rs 8 lakh to Rs 1.16 crore. The costliest plot of land was bought at Rs 1,100 per sq feet.

--IANS

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