Sanjay Nirupam refutes BJP allegations against him

Hitting back at Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam, the BJP on Tuesday alleged that his wife was the director of a company, which he did not disclose in his election affidavit. The BJP said that while Mr Nirupam’s accusations against BJP leaders were baseless, he needed to come clean on the issue of his wife’s company. The registered address of the said company is same as Mr Nirupam’s residential address, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said. However, Mr Nirupam dismissed the BJP allegations and said that the ruling party is only trying to divert attention from the “misdeeds” of its leaders.

Mr Nirupam had, on February 26, alleged that Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde has different Director Identification Numbers (DIN) and is a director of five companies, which he hadn’t mentioned in the election affidavits. As per the law, a person can have only one DIN for all companies. Mr Nirupam had also alleged that Union minister Nitin Gadkari also has five DINs. Though the BJP has vehemently rejected the charges against both its leaders, Mr Nirupam has announced that his party would take out a morcha to the residence of Mr Tawde demanding his resignation on Wednesday. The BJP has clarified that Mr Tawde and Mr Gadkari have only one DIN each and the other numbers were either rejected or had lapsed.

A day before the Congress’s morcha, the BJP has come out with its own investigation claiming that Mr Nirupam allegedly hid information about his wife’s involvement in a company.

“Mr Nirupam’s wife Geeta is a director of Clover Leaf Learning Academy Private Limited since the company’s formation in 2011. Her DIN is 03103187. It is clear that she was the director of the company even on the day when Mr Nirupam filed his nominations for Lok Sabha elections in 2014, but he did not disclose it in his affidavit filed before the Election Commission. He has been making baseless allegations against BJP leaders and has also announced a morcha demanding Mr Tawde’s resignation. But with this new information coming out regarding his wife, he should give clarification. There should be legal action against him,” the BJP spokesperson said.

Mr Bhandari also alleged that the registered address of Clover Leaf Learning Academy Private Limited is 2403/04, Building number T-36, 24th floor, Beverly Hills, Shastri Nagar, Andheri (west). “It is the residential address of Mr Nirupam and the company’s registered address is also the same,” Mr Bhandari said.

However, when contacted, Mr Nirupam said that he gave no importance to the BJP’s accusations against him. “There is no merit in their claims. They have made allegations only because I am taking out a morcha against Mr Tawde on Wednesday,” he said.

Mr Nirupam said it was true that his wife was the director of the said company, but it was an NGO and it was an oversight on his part that he did not mention it in his affidavit. “It is clear that Mr Tawde has indulged in financial irregularities. He has even used his party’s funds for his own company. Now the BJP is scared because of our morcha,” Mr Nirupam said.