Days after a police complaint was filed against a former Gandhinagar district collector in an alleged Rs10,000 crore land scam, the Gujarat Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have accused the sacked Vijay Rupani government of being involved in the scandal.
LoP demands Gujarat HC-monitored investigation into conspiracy
Amit Chavda, the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly from the Congress party, has demanded a Gujarat High Court-monitored investigation into the scam. He claims that land originally designated for cow shelters was diverted for commercial use in a "conspiracy by politicians, officials, and builders."
Congress alleges selective naming of officials in FIR
Chavda has alleged that the FIR named only three government officials, including the former Gandhinagar district collector SK Langa (IAS), while senior politicians and officials were let off the hook.
Irregularities continue under the Bhupendra Patel government
According to Chavda, the scam revolves around the Mulsana village where a 99-year lease was granted to Hirachand Patel and Sindhi Sulemain Kasambhai for a cattle pond in 2018. However, the land usage was later changed to non-agricultural purposes, and unauthorized constructions began without necessary permissions. Chavda questions whether the named officials could have acted independently given the high value of the land.
The opposition leader also raises concerns about the absence of the then chief minister, deputy chief minister, and revenue minister in the FIR, demanding an explanation for their exclusion.
Chavda further claims that the irregularities surrounding the land parcel in Kalol continued even during the Bhupendra Patel government, suggesting collusion between the current administration and real estate developers. He questions why the current government has not taken steps to restore the land parcel to agricultural use.
Former CM Rupani defends actions of his government
In response to the allegations, former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani stated that his government had initiated action against SK Langa and launched an inquiry in 2020. He asserts that his governments have consistently acted against wrongdoings by IAS officers, including the Langa case, and dismissed the allegations as baseless.
Gujarat AAP urges formation of SIT to probe the alleged land scam
Meanwhile, the Gujarat AAP has appealed to the collectors of Ahmedabad, Surat, Junagadh, and Rajkot to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged land scam. AAP spokesperson Karan Barot stated that if their request is not addressed, they will decide the future course of action.
