New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) The AAP on Monday asked Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta to clarify his links with the builder mafia or resign “immediately”, after the Delhi High Court sought his response on a plea alleging his role in an illegal and unauthorised construction.
The plea has also alleged that Gupta, the councillor of West Patel Nagar, has made crores of rupees in corruption and spent huge amounts in properties and construction work by misusing his power and position.
The public interest litigation filed in the court alleging that Gupta was involved in unauthorised-illegal construction on public land has “exposed” the BJP’s “intoxication of power and repeated misuse of public assets”, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said in a statement.
West Patel Nagar falls under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and like in this civic body, the BJP is also in power in the city’s two other municipal corporations –SDMC and EDMC.
The AAP, which is the ruling party in the national capital, has been alleging mismanagement and corruption in the BJP-ruled corporations.
The court on Monday also sought the response of the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor on the plea alleging unauthorised construction and encroachment on public land by Gupta.
Besides Delhi government, lieutenant governor and Gupta, a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh also issued notices to NDMC and CEO of BSES Yamuna on the petition, The plea alleged that the councillor has failed to act in accordance with the norms of integrity and conduct which ought to be followed by public functionaries and abused his position to obtain favour for himself or others.
“The BJP’s intoxication of power and repeated misuse of public assets has been exposed in the courts today,” the AAP charged, demanding that “Adesh Gupta must answer how such illegal construction sites are running under his patronage or resign immediately”.
Petitioner and advocate Hemant Choudhary claimed in the plea that the councillor was involved in the unauthorised illegal construction over public land adjacent to a municipal corporation school opposite to his residence at West Patel Nagar.
The petitioner sought the court’s direction to the lieutenant governor and Delhi government for an immediate inquiry upon the councillor as he has allegedly earned crores of rupees in corruption collected from the builder mafia and spent huge amount in properties and construction work by misusing his power and position.
The petitioner also sought the court’s direction to the NDMC for removal of the encroachment.
Latching on to the issue, senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak in a statement said the PIL, filed in the court, has alleged that Gupta has encroached upon public land and his relatives Deepak Gupta and Rajat Gupta are engaged in the practice of illegal construction as well and operate as builder mafias.
“They all work in connivance by misusing his power and position of being a Councillor, ex-Mayor and president of Delhi BJP,” he said.
“Gupta must answer how is he related to Deepak Gupta and Rajat Gupta? How are such illegal construction sites running under his watch? How did the illegal site get an electricity connection? He must clarify his stand or resign immediately from all his positions,” Pathak added.
Issuing notices to Gupta and others in the matter, the court granted time to the respondents to file a response to the petition and listed the plea for further hearing on February 18. PTI PK ANB ANB
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