Arvind Kejriwal, Cong are collaborators in Gadkari downfall

New Delhi, Jan 23: Aam Adami Party's

and the

, which he took on in anti-corruption agitation, are now friends in some strange manner. They both have contributed to the exit of

from the post of

president.

While the Congress-led UPA government hastened Gadkari's overnight turnaround, Kejriwal's allegations at a press meet in Oct 2012 provided the momentum to the issue.

Income Tax department had launched on-field inquiries in nine locations in Mumbai yesterday belonging to alleged shell companies related to Gadkari's Purti group.

Sources in the IT department said the exercise by its investigation wing was in continuation of the earlier searches carried out at the shell companies related to Purti group in Mumbai. The shell companies are units which serve as a vehicle for business transactions without themselves having any significant assets or operations.

In October last year, Kejriwal had targeted Gadkari accusing him of receiving personal favours by getting around 100 acres of agriculture land in Maharashtra after the Congress-NCP government there bent rules.

The activist-turned-politician alleged that all parties were involved in a cosy relationship of "looting" the country even though they raise issues against each other just for the sake of it.

He claimed that vast tracts of land were acquired from farmers for building a dam in Umred taluka in Nagpur district and excess land that should have been returned to the farmers was given to Gadkari and his company following Ajit Pawar's intervention.

The state government, which had rejected in 2002 the farmers' demand for return of the excess land, took the decision to give it to Gadkari within days of his request in Jun 2005, Kejriwal alleged.

He said Gadkari has a big business empire and his interests range from power to sugar to ethanol.

OneIndia News