The ruling BJP had given money to a “for profit” company called Shree Multimedia Vision Limited (SMVL) to publish a newspaper Tarun Bharat, according to The Economic Times. The money comes from the BJP party funds.
According to the report, the amount of Rs 25 lakh was given in 2001 and resulted in no return on investment. Several BJP leaders, the report claims, were either directors or stakeholders in the newspaper, raising questions of conflict of interest.
Many of the directors, even in the past, have had close associations with the BJP including those who donated to the party or fought elections with the party ticket, the report claims.
Currently, the Mumbai Tarun Bharat is published from the BJP office in Chembur.
The report also claims that Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde, is on the list of directors of SMVL. He also allegedly appointed the newspaper’s editor Dilip Karambelkar as the head of a Maharashtra State Marathi Encyclopedia Production Board after becoming the minister. Karambelkar is also one of the directors of SMVL.
Questions have also been raised since Tawde had not disclosed this information in the election affidavits filed with the Election Commission in February 2014 and September the same year. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has now demanded that Tawde be sacked.
When contacted by the newspaper, Karambelkar said that it was not possible to return the amount as the company went out of business.