Ahmedabad: On the eve of senior BJP leader L K Advani’s Jan Chetna yatra’s entry into Gujarat, leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil has asked the BJP patriarch to define his concept of corruption ”as he is a mute spectator to rampant corruption in BJP”.
In an open letter to Mr Advani, Mr Gohil today asked the BJP leader what he really wanted to achieve through his yatra against corruption? Is he really serious about the problem of corruption or playing politics in the name of corruption, he asked ?
Mr Gohil said Gujarat has Lokayukta Act, but no Lokayukta for last seven years. Chief Minister Narendra Modi has launched a legal battle against the Lokayukta appointed by the Governor. He reminded Mr Advani of the corruption involving party leader Dilip Singh Judev and former party President Bangaru Laxman, who were caught in camera in action.
The Congress leader also asked Mr Advani to give account of the money he had raised during his Ayodhya yatra in 1990 which led to a sharp communal divide in many parts of the country.
Referring to the case of Karnataka’s former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Mr Gohil said the BJP had launched a campaign against Karnataka Governor to shield Mr Yeddyurappa till the last minute.
Stating that a Gujarat-based business conglomerate Adani Group, allegedly involved in the Yeddyurappa case, has all blessings of the Gujarat Chief Minister, he asked why is Mr Advani silent on the multi billion rupee scandal of Adani group? Is it just because Chief Minister is involved in this bungling, Mr Gohil asked ?
Gohil alleged that instead of adopting an open and transparent policy to give land to industrialists, the Gujarat Chief Minister is giving land to some selected industrialists, after striking deal with them, at throwaway prices. In seven cases, he said, land has been doled out to industrialists which has caused the state a loss of about Rs 5197 crore.
Citing figures, Mr Gohil said Adani Group has been given 386 lakh Sq meter of land for Mundra port and SEZ at a token price of Re 1. In the last instance, land in this area has been sold for Rs 32 per Sq meter. Adani group created plots of this land and sold at price ranging from Rs 800 to Rs 10,000 per Sq Mt. This scandal is of more than Rs 10,000 crore. Will Mr Advani speak about these deals during Gujarat leg of his yatra?
Mr Gohil lamented that Mr Advani, who travelled across the country several times, could not find time to meet parents of two kids, who were killed in an act of sacrifice in his own constituency. He had no time to visit Gandhinagar where several temples were damaged nor the riot-affected Muslims, but he went to Pakistan to bow at the Jinnah mausoleum.
Pointing out that cow protection has been a favourite topic of BJP and its associated organization, he said in Gujarat cattle grazing land was being given away to industrialists. In the absence of grazing land, cattle breeders are forced to sell their cows to slaughter houses. Will Mr Advani raise this issue during his visit of Gujarat? (UNI)