Maharashtra Tourism Minister and BJP leader Jayakumar Rawal has become the target of the NCP's wrath, a day after the death of an 84-year-old farmer who had last week consumed a poisonous chemical at the Mantralaya here for better land compensation.
The farmer, Dharma Patil, died while undergoing treatment at the J J Hospital here late last night, triggering a political firestorm against the ruling BJP.
Accusing the minister of indulging in dubious land deals, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik today said Rawal had purchased a piece of land in his native Dhule district in the year 2012 even after the same land had been notified for acquisition for a thermal power project by the state government in the year 2009.
The government later scrapped the multi-crore thermal project and instead proposed a solar power project.
Patil had alleged that the government offered low returns while acquiring his land for the solar power plant in Dhule district.
Making a sensational claim, Malik said Rawal was also involved in "grabbing" the land belonging to former President Pratibha Patil in north Maharashtra.
"Rawal was also involved in grabbing the land of former president Pratibha Patil and her four brothers. The minister has grabbed almost 27 acres of land which belonged to Patil and her brothers. Despite several complaints, the issue is not solved yet," Malik told reporters.
He, however, didn't specify the district(s) where the land belonging to Patil was located.
The NCP leader also alleged that despite several complaints against Rawal, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had failed to take any action against him.
"The said land (in Dhule) was notified for acquisition in the year 2009. One cannot buy the acquired land but still Rawal (who was an MLA then) managed to buy 1.76 hectares of land for Rs 2.83 lakh in April 2012. It is a clear violation of the law," the NCP leader said.
Malik claimed that Rawal and his family holds a land bank of 800 acres.
"One must ask how the minister got to hold so much land for such a long period when the Land Acquisition Act 1976 restricted the upper limit (to hold land) to 50-52 acres," Malik said.
The NCP leader said Rawal used his "political influence" to get a meeting between his Cabinet colleague Chandrashekhar Bawankule and the farmer cancelled, which he claimed, prompted the 84-year-old man to end his life.
He also alleged that Rawal and his family members bought lands in advance from farmers at lower rates in Dhule district ahead of their acquisition by the state government for higher compensation.
Malik alleged that some "fake" companies are operational in Dhule district that buy land for Rawal.
"The minister's accomplices had purchased several acres of land already. They were waiting to buy Patil's land, but he raised the complaint before the state authorities for higher compensation," the NCP leader said.
Rawal, who represents the Sindkheda constituency in Dhule district, of which the deceased farmer was a resident, has denied the charges.
Rawal, however, conceded that he had purchased the piece of land in the year 2012 when he was the local MLA.
"I purchased the land (in Dhule district) to ensure that I am given the chance to attend meetings of the project- affected persons (PAPs) with the then government officials," the minister said.
Rawal said he, as an MLA, had been kept outside the meetings by the the erstwhile Congress-NCP government since he was demanding higher compensation for land.
"The only reason I purchased the land was to represent my people in front of the government in a better way," the minister claimed.
Speaking to PTI, Rawal alleged the previous UPA government was responsible for meting out "injustice" to the deceased farmer.
"I was an MLA from Dhule (in 2012) and when the land acquisition procedure (for the proposed plant) commenced, I had demanded a base price of Rs 10 lakh per hectare. Though the proposed land was rain-fed, the state government then offered Rs 2 lakh as the acquisition cost, which was very low," he claimed.
Meanwhile, Shankarsinh Girase, who had sold the land to Rawal in the year 2012, said the latter was keen to pursue the issue of better compensation for farmers.
"Earlier (before 2012), Rawal had no land holding in our village, due to which he was prohibited from raising the issue before state authorities and ministers. Rawal was demanding Rs 10 lakh per hectare when the then government was offering Rs two lakh per hectare," Girase claimed while speaking to reporters here.
He said though Rawal became the owner of his land in the year 2012, there was no money exchange involved.
Girase claimed though there was Rawal's name on the land title, the latter doesn't use the land.
"I am the one who uses the land even today. The Congress and the NCP must be blamed over how the land acquisition procedure was carried out," he said.
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