'I have been made a political scapegoat': Mittal

NEW DELHI: Denying corruption charges, BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal, on whose premises income tax sleuths conducted searches, today said he has been made a " political scapegoat" for the alleged bunglings in the Commonwealth Games spending.

"I have just been made a political scapegoat," he said, rejecting allegations of corruption involving him and any of his close family members.

Mittal, considered to be a close associate of former BJP President Rajnath Singh and Pramod Mahajan, said his company Delhi Tents and Decorative did business worth only Rs 29 lakh with CWG agencies.

He said a "political witch hunt" is taking place in the name of probe into the CWG irregularities.

"On the total CWG expenditure of Rs 77,000 crore, my company did business worth only Rs 29 lakh and now I am held as the fountainhead of corruption. Is it fair," Mittal questioned, saying that he was ready for any probe.

Asked about his links with Deepali Designs which had bagged contracts worth about Rs 230 crore, Mittal said he had joined the company as an independent director in February this year and resigned in July.

"I have not a single share in Deepali Designs. Neither any of my immediate family members has one share in the company. There was a request made to me to join the board of the company as an independent director. I joined in February this year and left in July," he said.

Mittal said Depali Designs bid for the CWG contract before he became director of the company.

The Income Tax department conducted searches yesterday in the premises of Mittal, and some consortiums in and around Delhi in connection with alleged financial irregularities in works related to the just concluded Games.