JAMMU: In a crude form of quid pro quo, BJP Mahila Morcha President Sharma on Wednesday hosted a sumptuous felicitation function for Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and other newly inducted BJP ministers, with an avowed objective of luring him to return the favour by accommodating her as Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of a Board, carrying status of Minister of State.
The deal was almost struck but for the last minute advice by aides to Deputy Chief Minister not to tread this dangerous path by falling into the trap, which could land him in a tight spot. But the aspirant Mahila Morcha President is also unrelenting, according to sources, who say that she is employing a lot of pressure to get the slot in a Board or Corporation as early as possible.
Even as Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta was struggling to douse the fire ignited by his controversial statement of describing Kathua rape and murder case a ‘minor issue’, the Mahila chief dropped in, extended invitation to felicitate them all and had a photo session too.
Sources told STATE TIMES that the felicitation was just an excuse. However, Kavinder Gupta is treading with caution on the issue, as accommodating a controversial person is fraught with danger of getting maligned, which could eventually send a wrong message. The BJP is already on marshy wickets in its core region of Jammu over non-performance of the past four years and making compromises for remaining glued to power.
“At this crucial juncture, the BJP cannot afford yet another controversy”, the sources added.
The name of Purnima Sharma had surfaced in the alleged Stamp Papers Scam. She has been contemptuously ignoring the police and not cooperating in investigations. She has reportedly refused to present herself in the concerned police station despite repeated calls to match the writings by the FSL experts.
“Police is doing its job and I will obey my party’s directions. I will visit the police station, if my party asks me to do so.” Purnima had retorted back to a reporter during her latest press briefing in the winter capital.
Purnima Sharma figured in the fake Stamp Papers Scam after two youth were arrested by Pacca Danga Police Station. Purnima was summoned for handwriting test but she kept on pressurising the police to skip her name from the investigations.
In the infamous case, the two accused are currently on bail. They were booked under FIR 135/14 registered in Pacca Danga Police Station on September 12, 2014 under sections 419, 420, 465, 468 and 473 RPC. The stamp papers scam is almost proven as more than 300 duly signed, stamped and attested stamp papers by a Notary had been seized from a stamp vendor, who insiders claim was not supposed to sit at Mubarak Mandi area as per the site approved to him. Attestation of blank stamp papers by a Notary is not only cheating of innocent people but a serious offence of misleading judiciary, according to legal experts.
Police says that the main accused arrested from the spot during police raid identified as Ajit Kumar had named Purnima Sharma as his co-accused. Purnima Sharma, who was also holding a Notary licence, had signed blank stamp papers for sale. To testify Purnima’s signature, she was summoned to police station but she is still avoiding to face investigations and pressurising police to get her name deleted.
In the backdrop of the stamp papers scam under investigation with Pacca Danga Police Station, the STATE TIMES is in possession of a stamp paper duly signed and attested by Purnima Sharma without deponent’s signatures which further confirms that the scam is still going on unabated. Courtesy: Patronisation of BJP.