Ahmedabad: Gujarat Congress on Monday alleged that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had taken the head of Gujarat Environment and Protection Infrastructure Company Ltd (GEPIL), found to be a "polluting entity" earlier, to China with him, while the government categorically denied the charge.
"GEPIL has been found to be a polluting entity. It was a company which was taking money from industries and the government for treating polluting effluents, but in reality it was found to be discharging the effluents without treatment into the sea off Surat district," Gujarat Congress chief Arjun Modhvadia said.
During Modi's recent visit to China, Girish Luthra, owner of GEPIL, was with him, Modhvadia said.
"The airfare for the China trip of the Chief Minister was provided by Luthra," Modhvadia further alleged. State acted against GEPIL only after people of 25 villages in the area protested, he said.
However, Gujarat government's spokesperson and minister of state for industry, Saurbah Patel, said, "Girish Luthra or no official of GEPIL was present in the team of businessmen that had gone to China with the Chief Minister. This is a greatest lie of opposition. Government challenges Modhvadia to prove his claim or accept that he is a biggest liar."
Patel also said that there was no question of not taking actions against GEPIL as it had been served closure notice for polluting the seawater.
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