New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) Mounting an attack on BJP MLA from R K Puram Anil Sharma, AAP on Saturday produced purported documents, which it said were obtained from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, alleging that the papers confirm links of Sharma’s son and another relative to a PG accommodation in Satya Niketan.
The allegation comes after the collapse of a five-storey building housing a boys’ hostel in Satya Niketan last week that killed seven and injured several others. The incident has triggered scrutiny of such student accommodations’ safety and adherence to regulations.
Addressing a press conference along with Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that apart from Sharma’s family members, the son of BJP leader Rajiv Babbar is also a shareholder in the company running a PG accommodation in Satya Niketan.
The AAP has been claiming that several BJP leaders own PG properties in the area abutting the South Campus of Delhi University, which, it earlier said, “explains the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) inaction” in the area.
While there was no immediate reaction available from the BJP leaders to the recent claims by AAP, Sharma, who represents the Satya Niketan area’s constituency, has earlier refuted the opposition party’s several allegations and displayed purported registry and other documents related to a building linked to him at a press conference.
Bharadwaj and other spokespersons have claimed that the MCD-approved building plan for a PG accommodation linked to Sharma’s family only accounts for 230 square yards. However, the actual built-up PG structure physically covers roughly 600 square yards.
Sharma, however, had produced purported documents related to his building, claiming it complied with all regulations.
Bharadwaj on Saturday cited documents, which he claimed were obtained from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and alleged that a company named “Keshto Gather Homes Pvt Ltd” was operating a PG accommodation in Satya Niketan.
He claimed that the company’s shareholders included Sharma’s son, another relative and Pragun Babbar, who he said was the son of BJP leader Rajiv Babbar.
Bharadwaj further alleged that documents showed that the property had been leased to the company by a member of Sharma’s family.
“When we presented the documents showing that members of his family had a 230-yard registry, and a PG of around 600 yards was being run there, he said that his family is very large,” Bharadwaj claimed.
Showing the purported lease documents, the AAP leader questioned earlier “denials” of any connection with such accommodations by BJP leaders.
“We have been saying from the first day that the local BJP MLA Anil Sharma is involved in this entire game, but they repeatedly denied it and did not accept that they or their family members or their son were involved in running a PG,” Singh alleged.
Sharma had earlier refuted another allegation — that the land on which the building linked to him sits belonged to the DDA — and brought what he said were registry and sale deed papers to a press conference. He had also claimed that the land in question was his ancestral property and was not purchased from anyone.
He then demanded that the AAP leaders tender an apology, threatening that he would otherwise file a defamation case against them.
Singh, however, said at Saturday’s press conference that the BJP should apologise to Delhi residents and students over the issue.
The press conference was also attended by AAP-backed DUSU election candidates Asmit Kumar and Pankaj Kumar, who raised the issue of a shortage of hostel accommodation for students in Delhi.
Kumar demanded that the government build hostels for students near colleges, saying the city had a shortage of such accommodation.
“Our direct demand from the government is that hostels should be built for all of them. The government has no shortage of land,” he said.
He also demanded that until adequate hostel facilities are created, the government should consider supporting students living in PG accommodations. PTI VBH PRK
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