Cong questions Naidu’s claims on transparency, charges him with receiving benefits of state largesse for himself, kin

New Delhi, Jul 24 : Raising a question mark on the claims by NDA Vice-Presidential nominee M Venkaiah Naidu on probity in public life and transparency, the Congress today charged him with indulging in corruption by availing the benefits of ‘state largesse for himself and his kith and kin. Addressing reporters here, AICC spokesperson Jairam Ramesh, posing four questions to Mr Naidu, asked him to come clean on Swarna Bharat Trust of his daughter receiving exemption from payment of over Rs 2-crore charges to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority on June 20, 2017 and his son’s company Harsha Toyota receiving an order of Rs 270-crore from the Telangana Government in July 2014 for purchase of vehicles for the police without floating of any tender. Mr Ramesh also questioned Mr Naidu and the BJP on the Supreme court quashing on April 6, 2011, the allotment of 20 acres of land to the Kushabhau Thakre Memorial Trust, with Mr Naidu being its chairman, in Shahpur, Bhopal by the Madhya Pradesh Government. ''Is it not a fact that the Supreme court quashed this allotment on April 6, 2011 on a PIL and passed stringent strictures of ‘political favouratism’ and cancelled the allotment of land,'' Mr Ramesh said. He also asked Mr Naidu to respond to charges of grabbing 4.95 acres of land in Andhra Pradesh reserved for the poor and the destitute. ''Is it not a fact that Mr Venkaiah Naidu was forced to return this 4.95-acre of land after public embarrassment and accusations of wrongdoing ?'' he asked. ''Mr Naidu is a very senior leader. He is very experienced. Since he has been talking about probity in public life and transparency, he should come clear on charges of availing the benefits of ‘state largesse for himself and his kith and kin. It is also incumbent on the NDA and the BJP to provide satisfactory answers to the questions raised by us,'' Mr Ramesh said. UNI