Venkaiah Naidu terms Congress allegations as false, motivated

NDA's Vice-Presidential candidate M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected allegations against him by Congress as "entirely false and motivated" and said it was clear evidence of the opposition party's "sense of hopelessness" and "political bankruptcy".

Responding to four allegations levelled by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh earlier in the day, he, while making a point by point rebuttal, said that the allegations, made a few days before the election, were "clearly reflecting the political motives and the mischievous intentions."

The issues raised by Ramesh had been responded in the past, he said in a statement.

On the allegation about exemption from paying development charges by the Swarna Bharat Trust, in which his daughter is managing trustee, Naidu said when the issue was raised by the media, the Telangana government clarified on July 23 that it was not the first and the last to be given such exemption and gave details of several other organisations given such exemption including by Congress governments.

About the charge of direct supply of vehicles to the Telangana government by Harsha Toyota, owned by his son, in contravention of rules, Naidu said he had scrupulously kept away from the business and other pursuits of his children but the dealer never directly dealt with the state government in the procurement of vehicles referred to and no supply order was placed with it.

He said the parent company (Toyota Kirloskar) offered to supply vehicles as desired by the state government at DGS&D (Directorate General of Supplies and Disposal) rates and the supply order was placed to them and payment also made to them.

Referring to allotment of land by the then Madhya Pradesh government to Kushabhau Thakre Memorial Trust, Naidu said he was ex-officio chairman of the Trust as BJP President and had no role in the allotment of land. "Isn't it a fact that several trusts were similarly allotted land by various governments including the Congress governments?" he asked.

On the issue of returning 4.95 acres of land in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said the issue was raised by the local Congressmen as early as 2002 and but courts had dismissed the charges of land grabbing.

--IANS

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