In Muzaffarnagar, amid widening rift between 2 BJP netas, Sanjeev Balyan asks Amit Shah to initiate CBI probe against him

AGRA: Sanjeev Balyan, a former Union minister in the BJP government, has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting a CBI investigation into corruption allegations against him. The unusual request comes amid a recent war of words between Balyan and his arch-rival, Sardhana's former BJP MLA Sangeet Som. Recently, a letter allegedly accusing Balyan of corrupt practices was distributed to journalists during a press conference held at Som’s residence.
Firmly denying the graft allegations, Balyan, in his letter to the Home Minister, said, "In recent times, an important matter has come to light through the media. A letter, distributed to journalists on the letterhead of a former MLA from western UP, contains baseless allegations of corruption against me. I deny all the allegations and, as I have served as a minister in the last two Union governments, I believe it is my responsibility to ensure an impartial investigation. Therefore, I request the CBI or any other high-level institution to investigate these claims to uncover the truth and expose the conspirators."
When asked about his letter, which was widely circulated on social media, Balyan declined to comment.
The allegations against Balyan surfaced during a press conference on June 11 at Som's house, where press notes accusing Balyan of corruption were distributed. Despite the note bearing Som's name, he distanced himself from the allegations. The press note accused Balyan of purchasing land in Australia, with his close aide Sanjeev Khardu acting as a mediator and witness in the sale deed. Additional charges regarding Balyan's business partnerships and property details were also mentioned.
Commenting on the controversy, Muzaffarnagar-based political analyst Ravinder Singh said, "The dispute between Balyan and Som arose after the 2022 UP elections. After losing the polls, Som felt that the low vote percentage of Jats was to blame, leading him to target Balyan, who is a Jat leader. This dispute has since then escalated, especially during the recent Lok Sabha elections."
Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha constituency includes six assembly seats, including Sardhana, where Som was defeated in 2022. Multiple panchayats held by the Rajput community across Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, and Saharanpur before the Lok Sabha elections aimed to “teach BJP a lesson” and are believed to have contributed to the saffron party's dismal performance this time.
A two-time MP from Muzaffarnagar, Balyan was defeated by India Bloc candidate Harendra Malik by 24,672 votes. Balyan attributed his defeat to "the polarisation of Muslim votes, the division of Hindu votes by caste, and low voter turnout."
Without naming anyone, Balyan also blamed local BJP leaders for his defeat, saying, "Some Jaichands and Vibhishans were successful in misleading the public. It is my fault that I could not fully explain it to the people. There might have been shortcomings in my work, but the party will soon identify these traitors."