Congress denies BJP's allegation of having links with Navneet Kalra, calls it 'baseless'

Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil, on Sunday, lashed out at Bharatiya Janta Party's (BJP) MP Meenakshi Lekhi for alleging links between Congress party and wanted businessman Navneet Kalra who is prime accused in Khan Market oxygen racket. Pointing out that the allegations are baseless, the Congress leader said that Lekhi made such claims out of 'frustration'. 

"While speaking at a press meet, Gohil said that "It (the allegation) is absolutely baseless and a frustrated language in which a politician speaks. I know that Meenakshi Lekhi is frustrated and wants to take it out on Congress. If someone puts a photo somewhere with someone, it doesn't mean any link. This way, Vijay Mallya, the biggest looter of this country and fugitive Nirav Modi have photos with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So, Meenakshi Lekhi wants to say that most of the people who looted this country have links with Narendra Modi?"

He further questioned the BJP on the alleged case of duplicate Remdesivir injections in Surat, in which the suspect is a son of an ex corporator of the BJP. 

The Congress leader from Gujarat continued the attack on the BJP for the shortage of COVID-19 essentials in the country. 

"Why are vaccines not available in the country, why is there no oxygen available, why is there a shortage of Remedisvir? Because Modi ji has exported them all," said Gohil.

Clarification from AICC secretary

With Shaktisinh Gohil, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Pranav Jha came forward to clarify the allegation of Ajay Maken giving Delhi Golf Club nominations to Robert Vadra in 2004-05 and Kalra in 2005-06 while he was the Urban Development Minister. Jha stated that Maken was not a minister in the given time and these claims are not factual. The clarification came after an anonymous party source informed that the BJP MP has made these allegations on the basis of an RTI reply which showed Ajay Maken as the Minister of State, Urban Development, but Kalra was nominated before. 

Lekhi on Saturday had alleged the Congress party for supporting "black-marketers and hoarders." 

On May 7, Delhi Police had busted oxygen concentrators black-marketing racket from Khan market area of the city in a raid and recovered 105 such concentrators from two upscale restaurants. Till now, the police have arrested manager and three staff members. The Delhi High Court has refused any interim protection from arrest to Kalra in connection with the case. 

(Inputs from ANI)