Arvind Kejriwal flays Narendra Modi, says 'vikas purush' gave away crores to favoured industrialists

Arvind Kejriwal today brought Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the line of fire alleging that he favoured Gujarat-based industrialists Adani Group on power purchase and land allotment besides giving gas fields worth Rs 20,000 crore to private companies for "free".

Questioning Modi's credentials as 'vikas purush' and claims about his honesty, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Kejriwal and his associate Prashant Bhushan levelled a series of charges against Modi targeting him for allegedly allowing Adanis to "walk away" with coal blocks without supplying power at cheaper rates as per agreements.

At a press conference here, they accused Modi of allocating prime land in Gandhi Nagar for MPs and MLAs who in turn sold it at higher prices and land allocation to Adanis at "throwaway" prices while asking eight times the market price when Air Force approached his government for land.

Rejecting the allegations, Adani Group spokesperson said they deny "all allegations/statements made by Arvind Kejriwal of AAP" against them.

On the gas field allocation, Kejriwal said Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) was allocated gas fields worth around Rs one lakh crore in KG Basin and Modi allegedly gave 10 per cent each of the fields to a Canadian and an Indian company "completely free of cost" with any bidding.

The Canadian company was set up by a Canadian with just USD 64 (Rs 3,200) and within six days of forming the company, Modi gave him 10 per cent stake saying they will provide technical expertise. So, from Rs 3200 worth company, it became a Rs 10,000 crore worth company within six days, he alleged.

Saying that British Petroleum had to pay around Rs 35,000 crore to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance for production sharing of gas fields in the same area, Kejriwal alleged that the Gujarat government gifted away 20 per cent stake to these companies and the value of this "gift" would be Rs 20,000 crore.

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