Image: Youtube / Screengrab
An allegation of “cheating Hindus of their land by showing them the false bogey of Muslim takeover” has been recently published in a small Madhya Pradesh based newspaper called People’s Samachar. The story was broken by Tejkumar Barve, district correspondent of the People’s Samachar in Khargone. This story has since been picked up by youtube channels and has gone viral. (Links here and here)
Speaking to Sabrangindia, Tej Kumar Barve, who first broke this story, said that many Hindus from Dabriya, Rajpura and Chatlagaon, near Khargone, had sold their land to an organisation called Tanzeem – A -Zarkhez after they were approached by a Muslim man who claimed that a slaughterhouse will be built nearby a few years ago. In 2017, Tanzeem – A -Zarkhez changed its name to Professor PC Mahajan Foundation. As secretary, the name change application was signed by Ranjit Singh Dandir (ex-co-cordinator, district Bajrang dal, ex – district president Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Khargone).
Background
Some background research into the controversy suggests that there are two, 25 year old interlinked trusts cum companies (they call themselves trusts but are registered as private incorporated companies) called Prakash Seva Sansthan (PSSS) and Professor PC Mahajan Foundation (PPCMF). (links here and here).The PC Mahajan foundation was known as Tanzim – A – Jarkhez. According to its own filings, the PC Mahajan foundation is ‘….involved in Building of complete constructions or parts thereof; civil engineering.
There are multiple allegations of financial wrongdoing, land grab, microfinance fraud against the Prakash Samarti Seva Foundation. It has in the past collected a lot of money in the name of pension schemes, a kind of local life insurance and tree plantation among other things.
According to recent reports, there was a disturbance of sorts at the recently held, Annual general body meeting of Prakash Samarti Seva Foundation. It is after this disturbance that the ‘land grab’ story first appeared.
Interestingly, the matter is being pursued by a senior RSS lawyer from Khargone called Sudhir Kulkarni. Since the contested general body meeting, he has opened up a potent front against the directors of PSSS and PPCMF on social media (a simple scroll down his FB page is instructive) and apparently litigation is being readied.
What does the ‘Story’ say ?
Reportedly, a man called Md Zakir Sheikh, clad in so called ‘muslim libas’, went around villages near Khargone on behalf of an organisation called Tanzeem-A-Zarkhez, buying land for a slaughterhouse, a graveyard among other things. Rumours of a Muslim ‘takeover’ abound, scared Hindu villagers sold their land to Tanzeem-A-Zarkhez for a pittance. In 2017, Tanzeem A Zarkhez was transformed into The PC Mahajan Foundation. The signatory to the name change application was Bajrang Dal leader and BJP district president Ranjit Singh Dandir. He had signed the application as secretary of Tanzeem-A-Zarkhez. It is also alleged that the money used for these purchases was siphoned from the chit fund money of the PSSS. No FIR has yet been filed.
Tej Kumar Barve further said that this is only one of many allegations of impropriety and cheating against the PC Mahajan Foundation and Prakash Samrati Seva Foundation. He said, ” you can expect more exposes, very soon, in this matter”