BJP rubbishes allegations levelled by Kejriwal

State president R C Faldu says people would not have voted them back to power if they indulged in corrupt practices

BJP's Gujarat unit on Friday "rubbished" the allegations of corruption levelled against the state government by former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. The state BJP maintained that people would not have voted them back to power if they had indulged in corrupt practices.

"Kejriwal is a leader of a political party. He will level allegations against the work done by the state government. But, if the ruling party had indulged in corrupt practices, people of Gujarat would not have voted them back to power three successive times," BJP state president R C Faldu told mediapersons here, reacting to a query on allegations of corruption levelled by AAP president Kejriwal.

Faldu further stated that Kejriwal could not fulfill the promises he made as Delhi chief minister. He was levelling baseless allegations against Gujarat government, which had undertaken several developmental activities over the last 12 years.

Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, are on a four-day visit to Gujarat to 'verify' Gujarat's development model, which BJP's Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi is trying to hard sell across the country.

He was also denied appointment to meet Modi at his official residence in Gandhinagar. Modi, who calls himself a CM meaning 'Common Man' instead of chief minister, denied appointment to Kejriwal, who had posed him over a dozen questions with regard to claims of development in Gujarat.

On being asked about tainted ministers in the state cabinet, Faldu said "Babu Bokhiria's appeal of conviction is pending in a higher court." He, though, did not comment on minister of state for fisheries Parshottam Solanki, who is embroiled in Rs 400 crore fisheries scam.

State water resources minister Babu Bokhiria was convicted by a local court in Porbandar in Rs 54 crore illegal limestone mining case and his appeal is pending in Gujarat High Court.

Meanwhile, continuing the trend of poaching senior and influential Congress leaders, the saffron party today inducted Bhavesh Lakhani, son of former Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shashikant Lakhani. Bhavesh, who was a member of the advisory committee in Kandla Port Trust (KPT), was general secretary of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC).

Bhavesh Lakhani said, "The country needs development, which Gujarat has witnessed and for this, it is important to support Narendra Modi and make him the Prime Minister of the country."

His induction is expected to strengthen saffron party's base and organisation in Porbandar, from where he hails.

The party also inducted Bimal Shah, who was a minister in Keshubhai Patel government but had quit from the post of Kheda BJP president after being denied a ticket to contest the 2012 Assembly polls from Kapadvanj Assembly constituency.

Shah said "I never quit from the party but remained aloof from it for some time. I am now active in politics and will continue to support BJP and party's Prime Ministerial candidate Modi."