Somaiya’s charge. The opposition BJP in Maharashtra on Monday targetted another Maha Vikas Aghadi minister for alleged corruption and money-laundering scam of over Rs 100 crore and demanded a multi-agency probe into the matter.
Ex-BJP MP Kirit Somaiya accused Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif of bribery of crores of rupees, money-laundering, and owning benami properties through family members and shell companies.
NCP’s national spokesperson and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik hit back and charged Somaiya with political motives for regularly making baseless attacks at the leaders of the ruling coalition.
On his part, Mushrif, a senior leader from Kolhapur, has strongly denied the allegations. He also threatened to file a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Somaiya.
“Mushrif, his wife Sahera and son Navid have created a web of dozens of companies having dealings with Kolkata-based shell companies. The financial transactions and bank statements show that they received income from non-existent entities,” Somaiya alleged.
The BJP leader said he has already lodged complaints with the Income Tax Department over Mushrif family’s alleged dubious financials and non-transparent incomes. He sought a multi-agency probe involving the Enforcement Directorate and Anti Corruption Bureau.
Somaiya said that on Tuesday he would file a formal complaint with the ED and submit documentary evidence demanding a probe into the matter.
He also plans to visit New Delhi to meet Finance Ministry officials, while threatening to expose the alleged scams of two more ministers, one from NCP and another from Shiv Sena.