Vaghela challenges Modi to ''confess''before SC

Ahmedabad, Dec 6 (UNI) Union Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela today challenged Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to ''confess to the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter crime not in the election meetings but before the Supreme Court''.

Addressing reporters here today, Mr Vaghela said, ''If Mr Modi has morality to his admission, then do it before the Supreme Court.'' He was responding to a query about Mr Modi's self admission justifying the killing of Sohrabuddin.

The Minister alleged that the BJP was afraid of bringing out election manifesto as majority of the promises made before the 2002 Assembly polls, had not been fulfilled which included the production of 1,000 mw electricity per year.

Giving false promises, the BJP regime in the state had cheated the people of Gujarat, he alleged.

Mr Vaghela said in view of the Chief Minister's claim, made during the campaign meeting, that ''I don't take bribe nor allow others to do so'', has forced the Congress to divulge an example of corruption, in which the Gujarat government had misappropriated sum of Rs 19,000 crore while purchasing power from private players.

He said this revelation was the observation of Gujarat High Court, that an additional burden of Rs 19,000 crore has been imposed on Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) due to an agreement with two private players for the purchase of power from them.

The Minister said the party found many irregularities involving large sums for the allotment of land to Mundra special economic zone, Ahmedabad and Vadodara city gas distribution awarded to Adani Group from the direct intervention by Mr Modi. The project will cost dearer to the consumers of these two cities, he added.

UNI