BJP defends Amit Shah's charge against Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today supported his party president's claim that shopping malls were built on the land of closed sugar mills saying subsidised government land was alloted to a JD(U) leader for opening malls by Bihar government.

Modi questioned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about opening of malls on BIADA (Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority) land in Patna, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur.

"During NDA regime, the BJP had protested allotment of BIADA land to filmmaker and JD(U) leader Prakash Jha for opening shopping malls in Patna, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur. But, since the Industries department was with JD(U) it went ahead and alloted land to him on instruction of the CM," Sushil Modi told PTI.

Jha, maker of famous movies like "Gangajal", " Arakshan" and " Rajniti", had unsuccessfully contested last Lok Sabha election from Bettiah on JD(U) ticket.

"In many cases, BIADA land which was actually meant for setting up manufacturing units has been alloted for opening of college and other institutions," he said, adding even the Accountant General (AG) had in its report pointed to this anomaly.

He said the Supreme Court was still dealing with a few cases related to allotment of subsidised BIADA land to ministers and officials in the Nitish Kumar regime.

Nitish Kumar had yesterday criticising the BJP national president over his remarks on sugar mills in the state given for opening shopping malls and said that he was "ignorant" about facts.

Shah in his speech at the BJP workers' conclave here on Tuesday had said that shopping malls were built on the land of 12 sugar mills in the state, benefiting ministers and their relatives.