Congress rubbishes BJP's allegation of having links with businessman Navneet Kalra

By Siddharth Sharma

New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Hours after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Meenakshi Lekhi alleged a "direct link" of the Congress with businessman Navneet Kalra, who is wanted in an oxygen concentrators seizure case, the party rubbished the claims saying that the allegations are absolutely baseless and were made out of frustration.

"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?," Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil said at a press meet.

"Has the BJP forgotten who used to make duplicate Remdesivir injections in Surat? Wasn't he the son of an ex corporator of the BJP? They do not see that their Gujarat state President had 5,000 Remdesivir injections. A Remdesivir injection cannot be sold without a prescription and a license. Where did they come from?," Gohil further questioned.

Saying that the BJP practice substandard politics, he added it is a party of liars, a party steeped in corruption.

"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," he further said.

On the allegations that Ajay Maken gave Delhi Golf Club nominations to Robert Vadra in 2004-05 and Kalra in 2005-06 while he was the Urban Development Minister, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Pranav Jha replied that this is totally incorrect fact and Maken was not a minister in the said period.

A source in the party informed that the BJP MP has alleged on the basis of an RTI reply which showed Ajay Maken as the Minister of State, Urban Development, but Kalra was nominated earlier.

Accusing the Congress of supporting "black-marketers and hoarders," Lekhi on Saturday alleged that Kalra, accused of hoarding oxygen concentrators in two restaurants in South Delhi, has direct connection with the Congress.

On May 7, Delhi Police had busted an oxygen concentrators black-marketing racket during a raid and recovered 105 such concentrators from two upscale restaurants in the city's Khan Market area.

The two restaurants namely Khan Chacha and Town Hall are owned by Kalra, who is allegedly on run, while the manager and three staffers have been arrested so far.

The police has registered a case under various offences charging with cheating, disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant, criminal conspiracy and violating provisions of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 followed by the seizure of the concentrators.

On Friday, the Delhi High Court refused to grant any interim protection from arrest to Kalra in connection with the case. (ANI)