Rajeev Shukla must resign over Mumbai land scam: BJP

The Maharashtra unit of the BJP Monday demanded the resignation of union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla, accusing him of involvement in a land scam in Mumbai.

State Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya and spokesperson Madhav Bhandari told media persons that Shukla had been allotted at a throwaway price a plot of land worth around Rs.1 billion in Andheri.

"This is technically Adarsh Society II. Rajiv Shukla, who is close to Rahul Gandhi, has been allotted this land flouting norms as it was reserved for a municipal school," Somaiya said.

The two leaders said the allotment was made during the tenure of late chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, and sought a detailed probe against officials involved in the matter in 2007 when Shukla was secretary for the BAG Films Education Society (BFES).

The land measuring 2,821 sq. metres at the posh Andheri suburb was allotted for a nominal price to the New Delhi-based BFES, headed by Shukla and his wife Anuradha Prasad.

The BJP leaders submitted a box containing documents pertaining to the allotment to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's office.

Somaiya said the papers revealed plans to construct a clubhouse with squash, tennis and swimming facilities on the plot.

He said that when he sought details from the revenue and forest departments through the RTI mode, he was informed that the particular file was burnt during last year's fire at the Mantralaya, the state government headquarters in Nariman Point, south Mumbai.

Later, Chief Minister Chavan clarified that copies of all the files were available and Somaiya said inter-departmental communication would lead to the availability of relevant documents.

"I hope that Shukla returns the land and resigns and Chavan must come out clean on the matter," Somaiya said.

On his part, Shukla recently met Chavan and offered to return the land if any irregularities were found in the allotment even as the state government is probing the matter.

BFES has not got physical possession of the plot as there are some 40 hutments on it.