A significant political controversy erupted on Monday after the Bharatiya Janata Party's IT cell chief, Amit Malviya, highlighted that three Members of Parliament from the Congress party in Rajasthan chose to allocate a portion of their constituency development funds to a legislative assembly seat in Haryana. The funds were directed to Kaithal, represented by Aditya Singh Surjewala, the son of senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala.
The Allegations and the Fund Details
Amit Malviya brought the issue to public attention through a post on social media platform X. He accused the Congress MPs of diverting money meant for the development of their own constituencies in Rajasthan to an unrelated area in a different state. According to the allegations, the MPs involved are Rahul Kaswan (Churu), Sanjana Jatav (Bharatpur), and Brijendra Singh Ola (Jhunjhunu).
The specific amounts recommended by each MP were detailed by Malviya. Rahul Kaswan reportedly suggested Rs 50 lakh, Sanjana Jatav Rs 45.5 lakh, and Brijendra Singh Ola Rs 24.7 lakh for various development projects in the Kaithal constituency. The proposed works included constructing public libraries, common covered sitting areas, roads, school and college classrooms, community halls, street security gates, and energy-efficient crematoriums.
Defence and the Constitutional Right
In a sharp rebuttal, Congress MP Rahul Kaswan defended the decision when contacted by the Times of India. He asserted that he had simply exercised his constitutional right as a parliamentarian to recommend development works anywhere in the country. Kaswan clarified that his role is limited to making recommendations, while the execution and implementation of these projects fall under the purview of the concerned district administration and ministry.
Kaswan further used the opportunity to demand that the Union government increase the overall corpus of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme. His defence aligns with an official directive issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in August 2024. The directive states that Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs can recommend development works worth up to Rs 50 lakh anywhere in India outside their own constituencies, with provisions for higher amounts in cases of natural calamities.
Political Reactions and Fallout
The revelation triggered immediate and strong reactions from political leaders in Rajasthan. BJP leader and Minister of State for Home, Jawahar Singh Bedham, launched a fierce attack on the three Congress MPs. He accused them of misusing public development funds for political gains, stating that the people of Rajasthan voted for them, but they are sending development money to Haryana.
On the other side, Tikaram Jully, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, adopted a more measured stance. He called for a proper investigation into the matter, stating that if any MP is found to have acted outside the established rules, appropriate action should be initiated against them.
Amit Malviya's accusations were severe, labelling the fund allocation as "nepotism, favouritism, and an open loot of public money." He described the Congress as a "fraud party" that was looting the people of Rajasthan. Attempts by media to reach the other two MPs, Sanjana Jatav and Brijendra Singh Ola, for their comments were unsuccessful.
The incident has stirred a major political storm, putting the spotlight on the utilization of MPLAD funds and raising questions about the ethical and political considerations behind such cross-state allocations.
