A file photo of Hema Malini.
Mumbai:
After days of silence actor Hema Malini finally met the media at her Juhu residence on Monday. With tongue firmly in cheek regarding the recent controversy, she said: "Thank you for making my institute so popular."
The BJP MP refuted allegations of land grabbing and favouritism as accused by RTI activists and the Congress party.
The controversy over a 2000 sq ft plot granted to her dance academy by the BJP state government started a month ago. The actor did not returning another plot of land given to her in 1997 for the same purpose. Hema Malini however insisted: "I have not yet paid anything. I don't know how much it is. You keep asking me to hand over the land but it's not like the land is in my hands. I will do everything according to all rules and regulations."
Maliniji said that the allotment was cleared by the Congress-led government in 2010.
But they too have still not clarified as to why the due procedure wasn't allegedly followed.
Congress leader Charan Singh Sapra said: "She should have returned the plot earlier and then she should've taken the other plot. On one side Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the BMC municipal commissioner that the amenity plots like RGPG, the recreation grounds and the playgrounds should be taken back from the party who are already having it under the care-taker policy and on the other hand, the same chief minister or the same Government is awarding a plot to Hema Malini."
With no construction possible on the 1997 plot because of environmental regulations, the charge of land grabbing is probably far-fetched.
However if due process had been followed, the Dream Girl could have avoided embarrassment over her dream project.
The BJP MP refuted allegations of land grabbing and favouritism as accused by RTI activists and the Congress party.
The controversy over a 2000 sq ft plot granted to her dance academy by the BJP state government started a month ago. The actor did not returning another plot of land given to her in 1997 for the same purpose. Hema Malini however insisted: "I have not yet paid anything. I don't know how much it is. You keep asking me to hand over the land but it's not like the land is in my hands. I will do everything according to all rules and regulations."
Maliniji said that the allotment was cleared by the Congress-led government in 2010.
But they too have still not clarified as to why the due procedure wasn't allegedly followed.
Congress leader Charan Singh Sapra said: "She should have returned the plot earlier and then she should've taken the other plot. On one side Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the BMC municipal commissioner that the amenity plots like RGPG, the recreation grounds and the playgrounds should be taken back from the party who are already having it under the care-taker policy and on the other hand, the same chief minister or the same Government is awarding a plot to Hema Malini."
With no construction possible on the 1997 plot because of environmental regulations, the charge of land grabbing is probably far-fetched.
However if due process had been followed, the Dream Girl could have avoided embarrassment over her dream project.
