New Delhi, 30 May 2012

A BJP delegation, led by party chief Nitin Gadkari, today met President Pratibha Patil to demand the removal of Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal, alleging that she had grabbed agricultural land worth Rs 600 crore in Rajasthan.

The BJP delegation comprised of party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman, MPs Balbir Punj, Bhupendra Yadav and Arjun Meghwal and party secretary Kirit Somaiya among others. submitted documents to Patil and drew her attention to an order of the Office of Cooperative Registrar, Jaipur issued on May 2. The BJP leaders asked the President to intervene in the matter and either ask Beniwal to resign or remove her. BJP has also demanded that the Rajasthan government be asked to explain why no action has been taken in the matter.

“The Cooperative Registrar, who also has quasi-judicial powers, has said political influence was used to grab the Rajasthan government land worth Rs 1,000 crore. The Gujarat Governor has occupied part of this land illegally and it should be taken back,” Gadkari told reporters.

“A criminal case cannot be registered against Beniwal by the Rajasthan government as long as she is a Governor. BJP has appealed to the President to withdraw her pleasure and direct Kamla Beniwal to step down as Gujarat Governor pending thorough investigations into the entire land grab scandal,” Gadkari said.

Gadkari said Beniwal’s claim to the Registrar that she and other members of the society did 16 hours farm labour work for the last 58 years is unbelievable. “The Registrar has said in his order that it is a blatant lie,” he said.

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