Patna, Nov 12 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Bihar’s Alinagar Assembly constituency, Maithili Thakur, has refuted “land encroachment” allegations against her family and challenged those making the accusations to produce evidence, saying that the claims will otherwise amount to defamation.
A controversy erupted after locals in Thakur’s village in Darbhanga district accused her and her father, Ramesh Thakur, of illegally occupying public and private properties.
Speaking to IANS, Maithili Thakur, who is purportedly the state’s youngest MLA, termed the allegations as “baseless rumours”.
“Neither my family nor I have anything to do with any government land. Much is being said about my family and me, such as ‘land mafia’ and ‘grabbing land from the poor’, on social media,” she said.
The BJP MLA said that if there is any truth to these allegations, those making them should come forward with proof, as otherwise ordinary people reading such reports may develop the wrong impression.
“Anyone who has doubts can verify all land registrations and related documents with the Circle Officer or at the DCLR office,” she said.
Thakur added that using such unfounded allegations as a “public relations stunt” is a serious matter for her and her family.
“This is a democracy, and everyone has the freedom to express their views, which I respect. But if someone is making allegations, they should support them with facts. Otherwise, these are baseless accusations against me and my family,” she stated.
Further, the BJP legislator said that so far she has not been able to identify those who are behind these accusations and are making an issue out of the construction of her house to “target” her.
On the possibility of legal action, Maithili Thakur said the allegations are entirely baseless and amount to defamation.
“My father would never think along such lines. The people of my constituency and my well-wishers have known me and my family long before I entered politics. They have seen us grow up and know our family closely,” Thakur said, adding that she cannot tolerate such “cheap allegations” and will consider her options at the appropriate time.
–IANS
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