Gujarat opposition leaders meet President over Lokayukta appointment issue

New Delhi, Sep 6 (ANI): Senior opposition leaders from Gujarat hit out at Chief Minister Narendra Modi for trying to block the appointment of the Lokayukta in the state, and submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil in this regard here on Tuesday.

The delegation of lawmakers from the Congress, the opposition in party in Gujarat, met President Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders had earlier this month requested the President to intervene in the issue of Governor Dr. Kamla Beniwal appointing a Lokayukta without consulting the Gujarat Government.

Countering the points raised by the Modi Government, the Congress delegation, led by senior party leaders Shaktisinh Gohil, Shankarsinh Vaghela and Arjun Modhwadia, discussed the issue with President Patil and urged her to take action in the case.

Gohil, the leader of opposition in Gujarat Assembly, said the BJP High Command was defending Modi by concocting lies because it 'received' funds from the Gujarat Government.

"Chief Minister Narendra Modi fears that corruption carried out by his government, which is bigger than that perpetrated by B.S. Yeddyurappa (former Karnataka chief minister), will be exposed if an independent Ombudsman is appointed in Gujarat. Due to this fear, Modi is frustrated and annoyed," Gohil told mediapersons soon after the meeting.

"Since the high command of the Bharatiya Janata Party receives funds from Gujarat, it is defending Modi with all its political might. The BJP did not even let the parliament function smoothly. The BJP is clearly a party driven by lies and deceit," he added.

Stressing that truth would ultimately prevail in the case; Gohil dared Modi to a public debate on the issue.

"I challenge Narendra Modi to bring his facts, relevant documents and laws applicable on this row before the media and the public. I, on the other hand, will also bring my facts, relevant judgments of the Supreme Court and the list of various actions that have been initiated in Gujarat over the appointment of the Ombudsman," said Gohil.

"Through you (mediapersons), I am sure the people of Gujarat will realise what the truth is. Let the truth emerge in the court of the masses," he added.

Meanwhile, Modhwadia, the President of Congress' Gujarat state unit, asserted that the Modi Government had deliberately stalled the appointment of an Ombudsman under a planned conspiracy.

"The chief minister of Gujarat does not want an independent inquiry into the cases of corruption that have happened under him. That is why, he wants to have an Ombudsman that is appointed by the government and approved by him. Under a planned conspiracy, Modi ensured that no Ombudsman was appointed in the state for seven long years," said Modhwadia.

Gujarat Governor Dr. Kamla Beniwal had last month appointed a retired High Court Judge, RA Mehta, as the new Lokayukta of the state. (ANI)