The Aam Aadmi Party has questioned Rahul Gandhi’s silence on the Reliance gas pricing issue and asked him whether he would give ticket to ministers facing corruption charges.
In a February 22 letter to the Congress vice-president, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said his silence was not proper as it was widely believed that he would become Prime Minister if the UPA returned to power. “It is believed that no decision in the government is taken without asking your family. The decision to hike gas prices to $8 per unit [mmbtu] from April would have also been taken after asking your family. Still, people want to know whether you support the decision. If not, would you ask your UPA government to cancel it?”
Mr. Kejriwal also asked whether RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani had given the Congress donations or any other benefit. Why was the decision to double the gas price taken in the run-up to the general election and what was the relationship between the Congress and Mr. Ambani? In this context, he wanted to know how much money was being spent on Mr. Gandhi’s campaign and where from it was coming.
Another question from the former Delhi Chief Minister: Why are BJP and Congress leaders strongly opposed his government filing an FIR with the anti-corruption branch? “Do both parties have close relations with Mr. Mukesh Ambani?” [Mr. Kejriwal filed an FIR against Petroleum Ministe r M. Veerappa Moily, the former minister Murli Deora and Mr. Ambani for alleged collusion in increasing the prices of natural gas from the KG basin.]
As he asked the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Mr. Kejriwal questioned Mr. Gandhi about use of private helicopters and planes, including those of Mr. Ambani. The AAP leader wanted Mr. Gandhi to respond to the charge that Mr. Ambani had a say in transfers and postings of senior officials and “that in fact, he runs the UPA government.”
