Gujarat Agriculture Minister R C Faldu today threatened to file a defamation suit against Congress leader Paresh Dhanani for his remarks that the former's kin were members of a Jamnagar-based co-operative society allegedly involved in what the party claimed was a groundnut procurement scam.
Addressing the press, Faldu asked Dhanani, leader of Congress Legislature Party in the state Assembly, to prove the "personal allegations" levelled against him, failing which he would file a defamation suit.
In response, Dhanani issued a statement saying he expressed his "heartfelt apology" for making a personal allegation against the agriculture minister.
"Dhanani said Haripar Co-operative Society (in Jamnagar) is involved in a groundnut scam, and members there are my relatives. The way you have attached my name with the society has hurt me personally. I checked with them and they said every transaction there is transparent. I ask Dhanani to prove if there is scam in groundnut purchased from that mandli (co-operative society)," Faldu said.
"I am very hurt. You have tried to defame my character, so bring in the open whatever scam has happened there. Dhanani should prove this or else I will take legal route for defamation," the minister added.
While apologising for his statement, Dhanani said Gujarat was seeking an answer as to who was shielding those involved in the "groundnut scam".
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The Congress has called it a Rs 4,000 crore scam alleging that groundnut procured by various co-operative societies in the state, especially in the Saurashtra region, were adulterated with sand and pebbles.
During 2017-18, the Gujarat government procured over 10 lakh tonne of groundnuts at a rate of Rs 4,500 per quintal.
"Despite Congress demanding on June 12 that the state government should stop procurement of groundnut in light of the scam, 4.75 lakh tonnes were procured, which were found to be mixed with sand and pebbles," Dhanani said in a statement.
"Why is the government threatening legal action against those who are exposing the truth?" he asked.
"I express my heartfelt apology if you (Faldu) are personally hurt. But Gujarat is seeking an answer whether it is the agriculture minister, chief minister or the entire government which is trying to shield people involved in the groundnut scam," he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress today organised statewide protests demanding a judicial probe into the issue and said it would protest tomorrow at the district collectorates.
Recently, Rajkot police arrested several people after it came to light that groundnut procured by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and stored at a rented warehouse was mixed with sand and pebbles.
Cases of groundnut godowns catching fire have also been reported.
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