New video intensifies row over Union minister Tomar’s son
The Congress intensifies attack against BJP candidate Narendra Singh Tomar after emergence of video claiming his son discussed financial transactions.
The Congress intensified its attack against Union minister and BJP candidate from Dimni, Narendra Singh Tomar, after the emergence of a video where a man identifying himself as Jagmandeep Singh, and as a resident of Abbotsford, Canada, claimed he was the voice in two earlier videos that came out this week and last, in which Tomar’s son Devendra Tomar is discussing some financial transactions.
The BJP was quick to dismiss the video as fake. Tomar posted on X terming the video as “conspiracy” against him and his son and demanded a Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) examination of the videos to find the truth. “In the past, with regard to such false videos, my son has also submitted a police complaint. This video should be examined by CFSL so that truth comes out and conspiracy become clear,” he posted.
HT has seen the three videos but can’t ascertain either their authenticity or the context.
The first video showed Devendra Tomar having a conversation with a man, who informed him about a person identified as ‘Tyagi ji’ , who retired from RBI, would be giving ₹100 crore. The video shows Devendra Tomar asking the man to inform him when the transaction is complete.
In the second video, Devendra Tomar is having conversation with the same man, who can be heard telling him about monthly payments of ₹50 crore, ₹100 crore or 500 crore or how much. The video shows Devendra Tomar asking “How much he will give in the first month” to which the man responds, “about 250”.
The third video, which was released on Tuesday showed a man claiming to be residing in Abbotsford, Canada, and identifying himself as Jagmandeep Singh claiming that he was the one speaking to Tomar’s son in the previous two videos . He also claimed in the video that the amount involved was not ₹500 crore but ₹10,000 crore, which was used for purchasing 100-acre land in Canada and farming of cannabis (Ganja). He also provided registration details of the parcelsof the drugs sent to India. He also hinted at corruption in the purchase of seeds and pesticides. Singh displayed what he claimed were images of his conversation with Devendra Tomar and his wife Harshini and further that BJP leader Manjinder Singh Birsa, whom he identified as president of the Delhi Gurudwara Committee (Sirsa was previously president of the body) facilitated the transactions.
Sirsa’s personal assistant, Manoj, responded to a text message sent to the leader and said Sirsa would call back once free .
Congress’ national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told reporters in Bhopal that there is nothing left to be said after the third video. She demanded a high-level inquiry into what she termed hawala transactions and purchase of 100-acre land in Canada. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the money involved is of “people and not Tomar” and asked why Modi government has not sent the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax Department to probe.
Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi dubbed the videos the work of what he called the Congress’ Dirty Tricks Department.
Devendra Tomar lodged an FIR with police in Morena on November 6 after the release of the first video, and said it was fake. “It’s a conspiracy against me…No such money has been received either in my bank accounts or my family’s bank accounts,” he said in the FIR.
On Tuesday, before the release of the third video, MP BJP president V D Sharma came out in defence of Devendra Tomar and said the police was investigating the case.
The viral videos have given the Congress ammunition in the campaign that ends on Wednesday with polling in the state on November 17. The party asked why prime minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were silent on the videos and why no CBI or ED raids have happened.
Narendra Singh Tomar is one of three union ministers who have been fielded by the BJP as candidates in the state assembly elections and is contesting from Dimni assembly constituency, part of Morena Lok Sabha seat, which he represents in the Lok Sabha. Before getting elected to Lok Sabha in 2014, Tomar was a minister in Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet in Madhya Pradesh and is one of the senior most leaders from the state.