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Why was purchase of 19 houses in Alibag not mentioned in Maharashtra CM’s poll affidavit: BJP
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya has raised questions about the purchase of 19 houses of 23,500 square feet at Korlai village in Alibag by Rashmi
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya has raised questions about the purchase of 19 houses of 23,500 square feet at Korlai village in Alibag by Rashmi Thackeray, wife of chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray, jointly with party legislator Ravindra Waikar’s wife Manisha.
Somaiya asked as to why this deal was not disclosed in the election affidavit of the CM when government records show that these 19 properties were bought from Anvay Naik in March 2014, but were transferred in Thackerays’ name only in November 2020.
Somaiya in a press statement on Thursday said, “These 19 houses valued at ₹5.29 crore remained Thackeray’s benami (anonymous) properties until 12 November 2020. I visited Korlai village and checked the land records of Thackerays’ and Anvay Naik’s family transactions.” Somaiya also produced documents of the transactions.
In November when Anvay Naik’s suicide case was reopened and journalist Arnab Goswami was arrested in connection with the case under charge of abetment to suicide, Somaiya had made similar allegations about the purchase of a 9.35-acre land at Korlai village and asked why the deal was not made public.
On Thursday, HT contacted Shiv Sena leaders for a comment regarding Somaiya’s allegations, but did not receive a response. Ravindra Waikar’s office told HT that Waikar has refuted these allegations time and again in public and in media. The spokesperson of the Thackerays did not respond.
Waikar had in November said, “Somaiya has been trying to misguide people. Whether nine records were produced or 21, the land size (9.35 acre) remains the same. We did not buy it from 21 sellers but only from Anvay Naik. Somaiya has no business to ask relations between Thackerays and us. Uddhavji is our party chief and heads of the family and there was nothing wrong in purchasing the land jointly. Anvay had come to me through my secretary to sell the land. Neither I nor the Thackerays knew him before that and the question of having any business relations does not arise.”
