While Pranab Mukherjee supported the project party general secretary Digvijay Singh welcomed the Allahabad High Court's recent decision against it.
The Samajwadi Party today asked the Congress to come clear on the Anil Ambani's Dadri power project in view of contradictory stands taken on it by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and party general secretary Digvijay Singh.
While Mukherjee supported the project, Singh welcomed the Allahabad High Court's recent decision against it.
"Digvijay Singh has said he is happy with the Allahabad High Court decision against the project, while Mukherjee had said the government has decided to distribute gas to Dadri project. So, is this Digvijay Singh's stand or that of the Congress?" SP general secretary Amar Singh said.
Seeking a clarification from the Congress on the issue, Amar Singh said Mukherjee and petroleum minister Murli Deora supported supply of gas to Dadri but Digvijay Singh was opposed apparently due to personal interests.
"I am not levelling any charge but there is a perception that Digvijay Singh is a very, very close friend of Mukesh Ambani," Amar Singh said, adding that the Congress leader had every right to be "happy and delighted" at the stalling of Asia's largest power project.
On the accusation that he was speaking in favour of a corporate group, he said "I am not batting for Anil Ambani. I am batting for NTPC as it is a public undertaking and I am an elected member of Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU)".
In reply to a question, Amar Singh said the farmers in the Dadri area would be happy with the court's verdict as they have already been paid their due when land was acquired by Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) and now the prices have gone up, so they stand to benefit from the decision.
He described the Dadri agitation, which took place during the Samajwadi Party regime, as a "sponsored agitation", unlike the one in Singur, West Bengal. He said he would not speak against the Allahabad High Court's decision. "In Mayawati's rule, where might is right, protection can come only from courts," Amar Singh said.
He refused to comment on whether the court's decision would be challenged in the Supreme Court. "It is in the domain of Reliance Industries to decide future course of action," he said. The SP leader said Dadri issue should not be viewed as a corporate war.
"It is wrong to associate Dadri with corporate war....." he said, adding that the pressure from farmers is far greater than that of any corporate house.
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