As Guj CM, Modi Manipulated Bids To Help Adani, Videocon Seek IPL Franchise: Cong
10 August, New Delhi
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of manipulating bids as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, to help the Adani Group and Videocon seek a franchise for an IPL team for Ahmedabad, the Congress today demanded a SIT to probe this and the Lalitgate scam.
Addressing reporters here, AICC spokesperson Kapil Sibal said, ”Documentary evidence suggests that the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, along with his man Friday Amit Shah was apparently involved in manipulating bids with the help of (former IPL commissioner) Lalit Modi to ensure that the Gujarat Cricket Association with Narendra Modi as president, Shah as vice-president favours Gautam Adani with an IPL franchise by imposing onerous conditions through a carefully crafted strategy.
The Adani Group/ Videocon were being helped to seek a franchise for an IPL team for Ahmedabad.”
Sibal alleged that the BCCI enquiry report signed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and others pointed out at bid rigging carried out by Lalit Modi to benefit Adani and Videocon groups.
”An inquiry committee of the BCCI, headed by Jaitley and others, submitted a report on June 10, 2013, inter alia, indicting Lalit Modi for putting restricting conditions in the invitation to tender with a view to favour Adani group and the Videocon group.
”Throughout the period between September 15 , 2009 and June 10, 2013 , both Narendra modi and Amit Shah were public servants and were using their authority to favour private parties,” Sibal said.
”Between 2010 and 2013, Lalit Modi claimed in emails that he is close to PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah The above facts make it clear that the two Modis were close to each other, as claimed by Lalit Modi.
”It is also clear that on March 7, 2010 when bids got cancelled, Lalit Modi and Amit Shah were in talks with each other,” Sibal said and demanded an SIT enquiry into what matter was and also the ‘Lalitgate’ .
” Modi knows everything about Lalit Modi and acts of favouritism towards him. That is why he is silent,” Sibal alleged.
He asked why Jaitley , who was a signatory to the enquiry report , indicting Lalit Modi for putting restricting conditions in the invitation to tender with a view to favour Adani group and the Videocon group, did not file an FIR to expose the conflict of interest of his matter.
”Jaitley was in the knowledge of this. Then why was there no FIR filed or investigation set up? Why was there no prosecution launched against public servants in attempting to swing favour for the Gujarat Cricket Association, Sibal asked