BJP’s Cong-did-it-too doesn’t wash, says Left

But Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP’s general secretary, defended the Government’s decision saying that rules nowhere specified that BJP-sympathisers couldn’t be allotted land. ‘‘Is it a sin to give a piece of land to a body sympathetic to the BJP?’’ he countered, adding ‘‘We have no intention of counting how many NGOs run by Congress leaders benefited in the past.’’

The Congress hit back, accusing the BJP of ‘‘strange standards of fairness and equality.’’ Party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said, ‘‘While on the one hand, mere leasehold possession of NSUI and Youth Congress office at Raisina Road is the subject of ongoing eviction proceedings, all and sundry who form the Sangh brigade have been allotted land.’’

According to Singhvi, the Congress leadership had decided to take up the land allotment matter in real earnest. The party, he said, was also in the process of digging facts on its own and would make its findings public in a few days.

The Left parties too castigated the Government, saying the land scam was the latest expose which showed ‘‘the Government’s ability only in corruption.’’ Senior CPI(M) leader Somnath Chatterjee said, ‘‘Though Parliament is not in session, we would like to know the PM’s response to the land scam. Will he cancel the land allotments as well? But we seriously hope that this time there will be a proper inquiry and not a tamaasha as they did over the pump scam where allotments were cancelled only to be stayed in the states.’’

On Ananth Kumar’s announcement that the ministry website would have details of all allotments made in the last 50 years, Chatterjee said, ‘‘The point is if there were scams earlier, the BJP is only too eager to follow the trend. The BJP is following in the footsteps with a vengeance. Instead of rectifying the system, the minister openly condones the grotesque and systematic loot.’’

CPI leaders at Ajay Bhavan said that the ‘‘land loot’’ had been going on right under their nose. ‘‘Every inch of spare land on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg between the CPI headquarters, Ajay Bhavan, and the CITU office has been distributed to Sangh Parivar outfits.

Nothing can be done unless there is a proper legislation,’’ CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said, pointing out that ‘‘the BJP cannot justify its action by citing the Congress legacy.’’

RSP Rajya Sabha member Abani Roy too had a swipe at the BJP, saying the party had ‘‘proved beyond doubt that it is a party with a difference.’’