Gadkari must provide proof, reveal businessman's name: Congress

The new president of the Delhi unit of the Congress Party, Arvinder Singh Lovely, on Monday said former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari needed to provide proof about his allegation of the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) inking a deal to facilitate the latter's aim to form a government in the national capital.

"When a person (Gadkari) has made an allegation, he must provide proof, " said Lovely.

It maybe recalled that on Saturday (December 28), Gadkari had said at an event in the national capital that the Congress had decided to give outside support to the AAP after a peace deal was brokered between the two by an industrialist.

"In a big Delhi hotel, a prominent industrialist brokered a deal between the Congress and (Arvind) Kejriwal," Gadkari said, but refused to name the industrialist.

"Gadkari must reveal the businessman who is involved," said Lovely on Monday.

Gadkari's statement has been denied by both the Congress and the AAP.

"This is all rubbish. It is sad that a senior leader like him made such a comment. I met no party. Let them say what they want to, it doesn't matter. They are liars," said Kejriwal after the oath-taking ceremony.

Congress general secretary in-charge of Delhi, Shakeel Ahmed, said the statement by Gadkari was indicative of the BJP's frustration at not coming to power on its own electoral steam on December 8.

Ahmed described Gadkari's statement as "irresponsible" and a "complete lie".

"Gadkari and his party are experts in carrying out such deals and not the Congress," Ahmed said.

BJP chief ministerial candidate for Delhi Harsh Vardhan, however, said: "If Gadkari has made some allegation then it has some truth. He is a senior and responsible leader of the party."

On the issue of tackling corruption in the corridors of power, and how the Congress is likely to assess its outside support to the AAP, Lovely said: "Congress has always fought against corruption. Corruption is one of the issues. Governance is the centralized issue.Congress has effectively given its views on every issue, and countered every allegation against it.