Alok nandan//
Since leaving the Ann Tem, Arviang Kejriwal is behaving like big bull.
Some times he accused Robet Vadra and Sometimes Gadgari and sometimes
Salman Khrshid. He has a long list of thoes people who are enjoying
different types of power in India. But he only disclose the matters,
never talk about the remedies like Lenin, Mao and Hitler. He just
criticizes the system and the people who are leading it, never try to
give an alternative. So who has the responsibility to give an
alternative. Even a uneducated person in this country knows that
bribery is common here, but he is helpless due to the lack of
alternative. Without alternative does he has the ability to lead the
country? Never! Not at all!
Recently India Against Corruption turned its fire on Reliance
Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani by alleging that S. Jaipal Reddy was
axed as petroleum minister for refusing a RIL’s proposal to hike gas
charges and accused the government of promoting “crony capitalism.” Is
Mr kejriwal a socialist, communist, nationalist or capitalist ? It is
not clear till now. what is his political view? Would he mind to
explain it before the nation? Of course the nation want to know it.
IAC’s Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan demanded that the
Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin allotted to Reliance Industries be
scrapped and accused the UPA government of favoring the RIL by giving
contract on gas exploration in KG Basin and concessions at a huge cost
to the exchequer. “Their KG Basin contract should be cancelled. The
government should immediately put in place adequate systems to get
full production from KG Basin at the cheapest price for the country.”
Kejriwal and Bhushan slammed what they called a “classic case of crony
capitalism”, and charged that Reliance was “blackmailing” the
government to hike the price of gas by “almost stopping” the
production and indulging in “hoarding like petty traders.” And what he
is doing? Not balkmailing?
“Mukesh Ambani is running the country it seems,” Kejriwal told the
media here. “Jaipal Reddy was removed as he refused to hike the
charges levied by Reliance Industries to supply gas to the NTPC
(National Thermal Power Corp).”
Reliance called the charges “irresponsible” .Petroleum minister M.
Veerappa Moily declined to comment on the allegations.
According to Kejriwal, the KG basin was awarded to Reliance in 2000 by
the NDA government when the company agreed to supply gas to the NTPC
for the next 17 years at $2.34 per unit.
But, said Kejriwal, the company revised the rate to $4.25 per unit in
2007 which then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee agreed to as the
head of an empowered group of ministers, benefiting Reliance to the
tune of Rs.10,000 crore.
“The entire contract was meant to benefit Reliance because … the
cost would be determined by the company, and if the cost increases, so
will the profit,” he said, adding this was unheard of in business.
Kejriwal alleged that in 2006 then petroleum minister Mani Shankar
Iyer was removed and Murli Deora brought in to increase Reliance
Industries’ capital expenditure from $2.39 billion to $8.8 billion,
and to hike gas price from $2.34 per unit to $4.25 per unit.
Later, the company wanted the rate further hiked to $14.2. Jaipal
Reddy, who reportedly did not agree to the proposal, was shunted out
in Sunday’s cabinet rejig, said the activist-politician.
Kejriwal released to the media a “secret” document of the petroleum
ministry that said that accepting the Reliance demand would generate
for it an additional profit of Rs.43,000 crore ($8.5 billion). “In
order to pressurize the government, RIL substantially reduced its
production of natural gas,” a statement from India Against Corruption
said.
“Production has been artificially kept low to blackmail the
government. They are not just hoarding the gas but also forcing
various consumers to buy gas from abroad.”
When Reliance sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention, he
asked the attorney general to find out if the gas prices should be
hiked or not.
“Why did the PM not show similar concern when NTPC was forced to
accept a higher gas price from RIL? Why is the PM not pulling up
Reliance for not producing gas as per their commitment? Why did the PM
not seek legal opinion when the country’s interests were at
stake?”Kejriwal, who was flanked by fellow activists Prashant Bhushan
and Manish Sisodia, demanded that Reliance Industries’ “blackmailing”
should be immediately stopped.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked the prime minister to respond
to IAC and explain why Jaipal Reddy was dropped from the petroleum
ministry. “Is it any malfunction in the ministry that has persuaded
Manmohan Singh to effect this change? Or is that Jaipal Reddy was not
found a convenient minister? Or is this another example of corporate
interests taking precedence over national good,” BJP leader Jaswant
Singh asked.
The activists cited purported conversations between corporate lobbyist
Niira Radia and Atal Behari Vajpayee’s foster son-in-law Ranjan
Bhattacharya to say that Ambani had boasted that the Congress was
under his control. The conversation makes it clear that Ambani had
powerful influence over the Congress and the BJP, he claimed. “In the
Niira Radia tapes, Ranjan Bhattacharya is heard telling Niira that
Mukesh Ambani told him ‘Congress to ab apni dukaan hai. BJP signed a
sweet deal with RIL in 2000. Congress faithfully implemented it.”
The Congress predictably rubbished the charges. “His charges are not
worth a comment from any political party,” Congress spokesperson P.C.
Chacko told. Congress general secretary B.K. Hari Prasad also said
“the charges were baseless”. Former petroleum and natural gas minister
Mani Shankar Aiyar said while it was okay for a company to make a
demand, the government had not decided on it. “The government is
discussing it,” Aiyar told reporters.
Now Mr Kejriwal and his team is on the route of Farukhabad. He is
going to appeal the people to teach lesson to Khursid. It has any
sense in the democracy? Even Mr Kejriwal has not the declared the name
of his political party, so how it is possible mobilize the people in a
certain direction, while he is not clear of his thoughts? He is
trying to be a revolutionary man without a basic thoght line and
objects, and certainly it will lead the nation to anarchy. And very
skillfully he will deny all the responsibilities.
