A decision by Gujarat government to allot land five years back to a company which allegedly has close business links with Anar Patel, daughter of Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, today kicked up a political storm with Congress using it to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In 2010, Gujarat government is believed to have allotted 250 acres of land next to Gir Lion Sanctuary to Wildwoods Resorts and Realties Pvt Ltd for setting up a resort which was allotted at a price of Rs 15 per square metre or Rs 60,000 per acre.
Latching on to the controversy, Congress targeted the Prime Minister and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored SIT probe and resignation of the Gujarat CM.
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Asking Modi to "come clean" on the issue, the party sought to know from him whether he was aware of "clear conflict of interest" of the then Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel while allocating government land near Gir Lion Sanctuary to the company which allegedly has close business links with Anar Patel.
"Was this allocation based on a Cabinet decision and endorsed by (then) Chief Minister (Modi) and whether conflict of interest, if any, was disclosed?" asked senior Congress leader Anand Sharma at the AICC briefing.
In a Facebook post, Anar Patel said, "I strongly believe that to do ethical business with social morality is everyone's right. So far, whatever I did, I did it in righteous manner. "I get hur when people have assumptions and judgements for one's morality," she said.
Sharma said the issue would definitely be raised in the Budget session of Parliament as it pertained directly to the Prime Minister "who has claimed that he has zero tolerance towards corruption".
