Congress seeks Raje's resignation

Jaipur -- The Congress Thursday demanded resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje after a local court here ordered registration of a first information report (FIR) against her regarding an alleged land scam.

The court directed the Gandhi Nagar police station here to investigate the matter, which relates to allotment of over 7,000 square metres of prime land to Deen Dayal Upadhaya Memorial Trust at a throwaway price, and to submit a detailed report by Dec 11.

"Raje should resign as the court has asked to file a FIR against her. For an unbiased enquiry it is necessary for the chief minister to resign," said B.D. Kalla, state president of the Congress.

On Wednesday, the court on an application filed by a Sri Ganganagar advocate Srikrishan Kukar, said that the facts presented justify a police enquiry.

"The ball now is in the police's court. If the police fail to undertake an unbiased enquiry into the matter, I would ask for a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) enquiry," Kukar said.

A local advocate, Sushil Kumar Sharma has already filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Rajasthan High Court pleading cancellation of the land deal to the trust.

While another lawyer of Rajasthan High Court has sought permission from state Governor Pratibha Patil to prosecute Raje over the same deal.

In his memorandum submitted to the governor, advocate Poonam Chand Bhandari has mentioned that the chief minister herself is the managing trustee of the organisation.

Despite this fact, she has managed the allotment of the land to the trust through the Jaipur Development Authority at highly cheap rates.