Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari at the same time made it clear that he was not demanding any probe into the matter and does not believe in "putting the cart before the horse".
He posed a number of questions to Modi regarding the deal but caveated his response by frequently adding, "If what the report has said is true."
A recent report by Tehelka magazine alleged that the Modi government gave away 10 per cent stake in a KG Basin gas field to GeoGlobal Resources, a company that existed only on paper.
It also said that the Barbados-based company didn't pay a single penny for the 10 per cent stake given to it by the Gujarat government.
The report says the deal between GeoGlobal and the state government-owned Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), gave the Barbados company Rs 20,000 crore, virtually for nothing.
Noting that the story of Tehelka raised certain questions, which Gujarat government and especially the chief minister must answer, Tewari asked, "Who is the beneficiary?
"Is it a fact that the GeoGlobal was given 10 per cent of the equity in the consortium because they had committed to bring proven international experience in gas exploration and that the same company had in a declaration to the US government
had said that prior to going to India, they had no prior experience in gas exploration.
"Why were six crore people of Gujarat were made to bear with the cost, which the particular company was supposed to pay. We would like the Gujarat chief minister to answer to," Tewari said, apparently ridiculing Modi.
The Gujarat chief minister frequently refers in his speeches to the six crore Gujaratis. (MORE)
