TNI Bureau: While Congress is claiming the CAG report on coal blocks allocation is flawed on multiple counts, party MP Vijay Darda has been named in the CBI FIR. The government will have to face severe heats from the Opposition following the FIR.
The current development indicates that the coal war between the government and the opposition BJP will not be over soon and the proceedings of Parliament will be disrupted in the last week of the monsoon session too.
The CBI in its FIR against JLD Yavatmal Energy Limited, which bagged Fatehpur East Coal Block in Chhattisgarh, has named Dadra along with his son Devendra and other executives of the company.
On Tuesday, the agency had filed FIRs against five companies in connection with the coal blocks allocation. The FIR was also registered against Dadra and his brother Rajendra, who is a minister in the Maharashtra government.
The CBI alleged that Dadra was associated with two of five companies in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, which were raided yesterday across the country. His son and brother were allegedly involved in the scandal. They were the directors of the JLD Yavatmal when the firm was given coal fields.
However, Dradra denied all the charges saying he has not used his position to influence the coal allocation process. Speaking to media channels, he said “I am very shocked to hear about the filing of the case but I deny all the allegations. There has been no wrongdoing on my part. I did not lobby for coal blocks.”
Dadra, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of Lokmat, best selling daily in Maharashtra, was associated with the firm after his father. But his association ended in 2009. The MP is confident that the truth will come out and he would co-operate the CBI in the investigation.
However, the main opposition BJP will not sit silent. Dadra found himself in trouble despite his explanation on the issue. While the Congress is facing heats from BJP for several issues and scandals, the latest development will spoil party’s image before the 2014 polls.