New Delhi: Allegations that South Africa-based businessmen, the Gupta brothers, had conspired to destabilise the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led Uttarakhand government for a bribe of Rs 500 crore has triggered a storm within the ruling party.
The issue became especially embarrassing for the BJP when former chief ministers Trivendra Singh Rawat (the MP from Haridwar) and Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ called on the government to thoroughly investigate the allegations closely after they were raised by independent MLA Umesh Kumar in the Uttarakhand assembly on 22 August.
According to party sources, both the state and the central leadership of the BJP have been apprised of the current situation with the episode once again highlighting infighting within the state unit.
The Congress, too, has backed the demand for a probe with former CM Harish Singh Rawat calling for an independent investigation into the matter.
A senior BJP leader said that the issue has nothing to do with the Dhami government and since the matter was raised inside the assembly, the Speaker alone can issue any directives on an enquiry, if at all.
The Gupta brothers were arrested by the Uttarakhand Police in May this year for allegedly abetting the suicide of a prominent builder in Dehradun.
According to the police, builder Satyendra Singh Sahni had claimed in his suicide note addressed to the prime minister and the Uttarakhand chief minister that the Gupta brothers — Anil and Ajay — had been threatening him over financial matters related to a partnership project.
The brothers are also wanted in South Africa for colluding with jailed former president Jacob Zuma to syphon off billions from state-owned enterprises.
Speaking to ThePrint, Pokhriyal, a former Human resource development (HRD) minister, said the allegations are “very serious” and need to be investigated thoroughly, particularly because they were made in the assembly.
He told reporters 28 August, “First of all the dignity and the sanctity of the House should be understood. Issues can be raised in the assembly if they are backed by strong facts and proof. Saying anything just to grab headlines and create sensation should be avoided.”
Pokhriyal has also requested that the Speaker set rules on raising such allegations on the floor of the House without proof.
Asking what could be more dangerous than someone trying to topple an elected government, the BJP leader told ThePrint: “Both the Vidhan Sabha and the government need to look into this matter as it was raised in the assembly and it pertains to the government.”
“We want that an investigation should be conducted within a time-bound manner to bring out the truth,” he added.
Pokhriyal received support from Trivendra Singh Rawat, who said it was a “serious matter” that needed “thorough investigation”.
He added that despite it being such a serious matter no, “MLA has denied or clarified the situation inside or outside the House”.
Accusing MLA Kumar of not being “a credible person”, he added, “But if something is said inside the assembly then it is included in the proceedings of the assembly. In such a situation, he should be asked inside the assembly what is the proof of this?”
“The state’s intelligence machinery should be held accountable for this too,” he said.
On 22 August, independent MLA Kumar levelled the accusations during a speech in the monsoon session held in Gairsain, Chamoli district.
According to a state BJP source, Kumar made the speech on the last day of the House when discussions on a number of bills and ordinances, including the supplementary budget, were pending.
“However, before that, independent MLA from Khanpur, Umesh Kumar gave a very serious statement in the House. Everyone was also surprised by the fact that an independent MLA was given so much time to raise all these issues,” he said.
Kumar, while raising the issue of Sahni’s alleged suicide, mentioned the Gupta brothers of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and their activities.
“He said that a conspiracy is being hatched to topple the government by spending Rs 500 crore. The statement of the independent MLA created a stir in the House and the Chief Minister was also asked for a reaction to the statement given inside the House,” said another source in the BJP.
Kumar, a TV channel owner who made headlines in 2016 for conducting a sting operation on former CM Harish Rawat, is an MLA from the Khanpur constituency in Uttarakhand.
“The 2016 sting operation showed (Harish) Rawat trying to forge a fishy deal with a reporter to placate some MLA by promising them financial benefits,” said a senior state BJP functionary.
“This happened against the backdrop of the political crisis when 10 Congress MLAs had launched a revolt against the CM. It is said that the sting operation helped the BJP in the state assembly election in 2017,” the functionary added.
In 2018, Kumar was arrested for attempting to carry out a sting operation intended to cause damage to then CM Trivendra Singh Rawat.
According to a senior BJP leader, Kumar is seen as “someone close to Dhami and former chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari”.
In the past, a section of leaders in the state had expressed unhappiness with the endorsement of Dhami as the face of the election. Later on, while the party won the Uttarakhand assembly elections Dhami, lost his seat from Khatima which sources said was down to a clear case of infighting.
Similarly, ThePrint had reported that during the 2022 assembly elections for the first time senior leaders were not given adequate space in the election campaign.
At the same time, though the BJP won all five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand despite its relatively poor national performance, the state unit has been unsetlled by its recent bypoll losses.
However, another state party functionary tried to play down the speculation of infighting.
“An independent MLA was given time to speak and he raised certain issues. Why are they taking it so personally? Assembly is a platform to raise matters which the MLAs find relevant. They are needlessly trying to create an issue out of it,” he said.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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