January 31, 2015 by admin

Congress, SAD spat over Natarajan episode

Chandigarh, Former Union minister Jayanti Natarajan’s resignation from the Congress in New Delhi has created ripples in Punjab as well. While the SAD said its claim that the previous Congress government did not give environmental clearances to several projects stood vindicated with Natarajan’s confessions, state Congress leaders have pooh-poohed her claims.Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, political adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister, said the SAD-BJP government in the state had always maintained that several projects in the state could not take off as Natarajan did not grant environmental clearances.“The clearances for mining of minor minerals was not granted, which led to a huge gap in demand and supply of sand and gravel. As a result, their prices skyrocketed in Punjab. Now, with the change of government, these clearances have come and provided relief to the people,” he said.State Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa, meanwhile, condemned Natarajan for doing so at the bidding of the BJP. He said it was a political conspiracy by the BJP keeping in view the Delhi elections. “It appears the BJP has found evidence of some wrongdoing against Natarajan and is now utilising it to pressurise Natarajan to make baseless, motivated and preposterous comments,” he said.He also questioned the timing of the release of the Natarajan’s letter and the press conference by her.