Charges against Gadkari: BJP backs him, govt promise probe

More questions have been raised over BJP President Nitin Gadkari's business interests after details surfaced saying that the shell companies have been found to have invested in Gadkari's Purti group. Reports reveal an infrastructure company called IRB gave Purti Ltd a loan of Rs 165 crores, two years after IRB was awarded road contracts by Gadkari when he was the PWD minister.

Purti Power and Sugar Ltd in which the BJP President owns shares 18 companies and that hold 80 per cent of equity in Purti industries are seemingly shell companies. These companies do not exist at their registered addresses.

Also Read: Damania targeted Gadkari because of her land issues: BJP

Also, directors of investor companies in Purti include Gadkari's driver, accountant and employees of Purti themselves. Manohar Panse, Gadkari's driver is a director in five of Purti's investor companies. Between 2009 and 2011, Panse was a director in six other companies. Nineteen of these investor companies were registered with same email id.

Meanwhile, India Against Corruption member Arvind Kejriwal tweeted on Tuesday morning, "Read today's TOI for big expose against Nitin Gadkari. But would Congress and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar have courage to act against Gadkari? Or BJP-Congress bhai bhai?"

Reacting to the fresh allegations, Union Minister Veerappa Moily said, "I have heard about the allegations, shall look into the allegations to see whether books are in order. I have asked secretary and registrar of companies to look into it."

Kejriwal's corruption allegations against Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, BJP President Nitin Gadkari and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar had resulted in what many are calling the conspiracy of silence.

After Kejriwal's earlier allegations against Gadkari, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said, "The whole party and its cadre is behind Nitin Gadkari." The party rallied around its beleaguered president within minutes after India Against Corruption levelled a slew of corruption allegations against Gadkari. However, with IAC's Mumbai activists Mihir Gandhi and Anajani Damania under media scrutiny, Gadkari has got the breather.

Not only the BJP, the RSS top brass has stood by the Nagpur boy in this hour of crisis. With top sangh leaders camping in Delhi last week just after the IAC presser and to evolve consensus for another term for Gadkari which looks almost certain now. The allegations against Gadkari, the RSS feels have not been politically damaging. Especially with leaders from both the Opposition and the NDA coming to Gadkari's rescue.

Even the main Opposition, the Congress grappling with multiple and continues assault from IAC is playing safe and has so far resisted taking up issues raised by Kejriwal. As for Gadkari, with RSS by his side he seems all set to don the mantle of presidentship once again and be at the helm of party affairs when next Lok Sabha elections are held.

Big Questions:

- Is there a conspiracy of silence between political parties on Gadkari?

- Did Gadkari push aides to key posts in companies that invested in Purti Ltd?

- Why did IRB give loans to Gadkari's company after he cleared its road contracts?