BJP national secretary meets Vasundhara Raje, Diya Kumari over palace row

Jaipur: The BJP appears to have stepped in to resolve the ongoing tussle between the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur and Jaipur Development Authority over Raj Mahal Palace heritage hotel owned by the family of a party MLA Diya Kumari.

BJP's national joint general secretary Saudan Singh held separate meetings with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Diya Kumari at the party office in Jaipur on Saturday, a day after 'Rajamata' Padmini Devi took out a rally protesting the Authority's action to seal the main gate of the Palace claiming its ownership.

On September 1, Rajasthan government had justified the Authority's move and said it was "completely legal and bona fide" as the action was taken for public land.

The Opposition Congress too has taken a swipe over the "confrontation" brewing between Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and the royal family.

Diya Kumari, daughter of 'Rajamata' Padmini Devi and BJP MLA from Sawai Madhopur, briefed Singh about the JDA action on Raj Mahal Palace hotel owned by the family, party sources said. Later, the Chief Minister also visited the party office and met Singh.

The sources said that the party leader had been sent to intervene in the ongoing conflict between the erstwhile royal family and the state government over the issue though they did not divulge further details of the meetings.

Diya was not present in a protest rally taken out by the 'Rajamata' against the JDA earlier this week but her husband and son had joined Devi in the march.