The Hindu : National : Jaitley says payments were for furniture bought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 17, 2006

National

National

Jaitley says payments were for furniture bought

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Arun Jaitley on Thursday charged Election Commissioner Navin Chawla's wife Rupika Chawla with showing income from her business as a donation to a trust to claim tax exemption. He denied that his wife, Sangeeta Jaitley, had made any "donation" to trusts run by Mrs. Chawla, but, yes, she had bought some furniture from her.

Mr. Jaitley was responding to a report in The Hindu (February 16) that Mrs. Jaitley donated Rs. 13,000 on January 10, 2002 to the Lepra India Trust, headed by Mrs. Chawla, and that another sum of Rs. 28,000 was donated to the same trust on March 11, 2002 by Messrs S.N. Creation c/o Sangeeta Jaitley.

Mr. Jaitley has been in the forefront of the Opposition demand for Mr. Chawla's resignation or removal from his position as Election Commissioner on the ground that the trusts run by his family had received donations from MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) funds of Congress MPs.

At a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Jaitley said his wife had purchased "two chairs and two corner pieces from Mrs. Chawla from a basement in Defence Colony where this furniture was on display and on sale. Payments were made by cheque drawn in favour of whatever name the shop asked for. [He did not rule out the possibility of cheques being made in the name of Lepra India Trust.] The money was certainly not meant for donation, as otherwise my wife would have also claimed tax exemption on it." He added that two paintings belonging to him and his wife were currently with Mrs. Chawla for restoration work. When that work was completed, his wife would be paying her the fees.

Mr. Jaitley said that his wife's sister, who also bought furniture from Mrs. Chawla, paid the second amount of Rs. 28,000. She was at that time staying with them. She runs a company, S.N. Creation, and paid out of the company chequebook.

Mr. Jaitley said in a day or two he would be writing to the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes to investigate the matter. "So far the allegation against Navin Chawla was that he lacked political impartiality, and was, therefore, not fit for the job of Election Commissioner. Now it seems that there is a case of tax evasion against his family."

"You are welcome to come to my house to inspect the furniture bought by my wife from Mrs. Chawla," he told reporters.

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