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Oct 11 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai)BJP's Som signed documents stating
firm's meat businessSandeep RaiMeerutA day after BJP MLA Sangeet Som denied
links with a meat processing and export firm and stated that he had only
purchased land about seven years ago and sold it within six months, fresh
documents have surfaced in the media that bring into question his claims. They
indicate that his level of involvement in the business ran deeper than what he
has so far owned up to.
Official documents with the registrar of companies show that Som was one of the
three promoters of Al Dua Food Processing Pvt Ltd, and that he held 33% in it
from 2005 to 2008. (TOI had reported on Saturday that it had accessed documents
showing Som was a director in Al Dua.) Som had told TOI on Friday: “By
purchasing the land, I became a director in the company by default.“ However,
the memorandum of association of Al Dua, which Som signed, very clearly stated
the company's involvement in a range of meat-related businesses. And the
company's website says, “Al Dua is a leading producer and exporter of halal
meat from India...Specialists in the export of quality halal buffalo,
sheeplamb, goat meat and hides.“ Official papers that the media has produced
show that Som and his two partners, Moinuddin Qureshi and Yogesh Rawat, pooled
in Rs 4 lakh, Rs 7.60 lakh and Rs 4 lakh respectively to form the company .
According to NDTV , Som was associated with another meat processing company ,
Al Anam, in 2008 as an associate director. When TOI contacted him again on
Saturday , Som said, “I am preparing to send a notice to those who have damaged
my reputation. I never denied that I was not a director, so what are they
trying to prove? I maintain my earlier stance that I am not associated with any
company in meat business in any capacity .“
At the time when the transactions took place in 2005, Som was with the
Samajwadi Party , and even stood for UP legislative assembly elections in 2007
from Sardhana on that party's ticket. In the 2012 assembly elections, when he
was denied a ticket by the SP, he joined BJP and won from Sardhana, defeating
his friend-turned-foe Atul Pradhan from the SP.
BJP, however, has washed its hands of the controversy . Sunil Bharala, a senior
local BJP leader, said, “Sangeet Som is not even five years old in the BJP. We
cannot comment on what he did before joining us.Laxmikant Bajpai, UP state
president of the party , said, “My MLA cannot be a meat exporter, but I would
not like to comment on something that relates to his days before joining the
BJP.“
