Arvind Kejriwal, a key aide of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare,
on Friday accused Chief Minister Narendra Modi of protecting corrupt
ministers like Purshotam Solanki (fisheries and animal husbandry
minister) and Anandiben Patel (revenue and roads and building) and not
appointing a Lokayukta in state.
Kejriwal was in the state on Friday to participate in Graam Swaraj
Satyagraha rally at Lavad village in Gandhinagar to protest the state
government’s decision to write off vast tracts of grazing land for the
proposed Raksha Shakti University.
“I read the Gujarat High Court’s order in the case of corruption
charges against Purshotam Solanki. Despite a clear court order to
allow the minister’s prosecution, the CM has denied permission, which
shows he is protecting him. I also went through the documents of land
scam involving senior minister Anandiben Patel. The documents received
under the RTI indicate her role. These charges needs to be
investigated in public interest. In Delhi, the PM is protecting his
corrupt ministers while the CM is doing the same in Gujarat,” Kejriwal
said.
“The Gujarat government has played only politics for the last nine
years over Lokayukta’s appointment. Since there is no anti-graft
watchdog in the state, no one can complain against corrupt ministers
or officials,” he added.
Kejriwal also raised the issue of murders of RTI activists and attacks
on those who are fighting against the corruption. “If Modi has genuine
intention of eliminating corruption from the state he, should come out
with a strong Lokayukta law like the one former BJP CM Khanduri
enacted in Uttarakhand. Gujarat’s Lokayukta Act is the weakest in the
country. The CM is doing nothing to curb corruption,” he said, adding
that India against Corruption’s Gujarat chapter will soon expose
corrupt ministers in the state as it did at the Centre.
on Friday accused Chief Minister Narendra Modi of protecting corrupt
ministers like Purshotam Solanki (fisheries and animal husbandry
minister) and Anandiben Patel (revenue and roads and building) and not
appointing a Lokayukta in state.
Kejriwal was in the state on Friday to participate in Graam Swaraj
Satyagraha rally at Lavad village in Gandhinagar to protest the state
government’s decision to write off vast tracts of grazing land for the
proposed Raksha Shakti University.
“I read the Gujarat High Court’s order in the case of corruption
charges against Purshotam Solanki. Despite a clear court order to
allow the minister’s prosecution, the CM has denied permission, which
shows he is protecting him. I also went through the documents of land
scam involving senior minister Anandiben Patel. The documents received
under the RTI indicate her role. These charges needs to be
investigated in public interest. In Delhi, the PM is protecting his
corrupt ministers while the CM is doing the same in Gujarat,” Kejriwal
said.
“The Gujarat government has played only politics for the last nine
years over Lokayukta’s appointment. Since there is no anti-graft
watchdog in the state, no one can complain against corrupt ministers
or officials,” he added.
Kejriwal also raised the issue of murders of RTI activists and attacks
on those who are fighting against the corruption. “If Modi has genuine
intention of eliminating corruption from the state he, should come out
with a strong Lokayukta law like the one former BJP CM Khanduri
enacted in Uttarakhand. Gujarat’s Lokayukta Act is the weakest in the
country. The CM is doing nothing to curb corruption,” he said, adding
that India against Corruption’s Gujarat chapter will soon expose
corrupt ministers in the state as it did at the Centre.
