Congress alleges ‘biggest’ mines scam in Rajasthan, seeks Raje’s ouster

The Congress on Friday alleged a scam of Rs 45,000 crore in the allocation of mines in Rajasthan and demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The party has also sought a Supreme Court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation into the matter.

Months after the party demanded her sacking over  her alleged involvement in the Lalit Modi controversy, Congress held Raje “guilty” for the allocation of as many as 653 mines in alleged contravention of Centre’s policy.

“A guideline was issued on October 30 last year, which stated that mines cannot be allocated. But the auction process was not followed as all 653 mines were given away by the Rajasthan government on a first-come-first-serve basis,” said Congress leader Sachin Pilot.

He added: “On January 12 this year, a gazette notification was issued, and the same day the Raje government had allocated 137 mines.” The Congress leader said that the alleged scam was the biggest since Independence.

“The papers show that the almost 10 officers have signed the documents on a single day itself,” he said. 

<g data-gr-id="24">Pilot</g> also questioned the continued silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard despite his assertion that he would neither take <g data-gr-id="25">bribe</g> and nor allow anybody to practise corruption. “The Congress party demands a CBI investigation to be monitored by the Supreme Court,” he added.

At a joint press conference at AICC headquarters, PCC chief Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan CLP leader Rameshwar Dudi and chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the trail in the alleged scam reaches the doorstep of the chief minister, though only a top official has been arrested in the case.