Groundnut scam: Gujarat Congress seeks CM Vijay Rupani resignation on moral grounds

Seeking to step up pressure on the state government in the alleged groundnut scam, the Opposition Congress today asked Chief Minister Vijay Rupani to resign on moral grounds.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Paresh Dhanani said that looking at the widespread irregularities in the groundnut procurement scam, "the chief minister should take moral responsibility of the same and resign".

He said that the scam had been perpetrated in an organised manner, and money belonging to farmers "siphoned off by members of the ruling party".

"We have been demanding a probe into the irregularities for past several months. The government responded by forming a Commission to look into the case. Like a number of Commissions before it, this Commission too will turn out to be a tool to protect those who had indulged in massive corruption," Dhanani told reporters, adding, "If the government has not done anything wrong, why is it scared of ordering a probe by a sitting judge of the high court?"

The Congress leader also raised questions on the parameters for selection of Banas Dairy, Sabar Dairy, Gujcomasol, and other bodies for procurement of groundnut. He also raised questions about the manner in which warehouses for storing the groundnut stock had been rented through middlemen and not the original owners.