Rajasthan refinery share fixed in 2013, says Congress; slams CM Bhajanlal Sharma for 'wrongly' crediting PM Narendra Modi

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Wednesday drew sharp reactions from Congress leaders after he credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the state's 26 per cent share in HPCL-Rajasthan oil refinery project.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot called Sharma's statement "misleading" and said the state's share was finalised at the time of the foundation stone laying in 2013.

Addressing a public programme in Churu distruct today, Sharma said that 26 per cent share in the refinery project was given to Rajasthan by Modi in 2018.

The refinery was to be inaugurated by Modi on Tuesday, but a day before the scheduled programme, a fire broke out in part of the unit located in Pachpadra of Balotra district on Monday. Subsequently, the inauguration was postponed.

Gehlot, meanwhile, alleged that Sharma was making "misleading statements" to divert attention from delays in the refinery project and the recent accident at the site.

The senior Congress leader said that even two days after the fire incident, no official clarification has been given on the cause of the accident.

"Chief minister's claim that Rajasthan's 26 per cent stake in the refinery was secured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is completely false. The state's share was finalised at the time of the foundation stone laying in 2013," he said.

Gehlot said the Centre and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited had made it a condition that the state government take a 26 per cent stake for the refinery to be set up in Pachpadra.

He said that statements by BJP leaders reflected a lack of understanding about the refinery project.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Tika Ram Jully also accused the chief minister of making "factually incorrect and misleading" statements about the issue.

Jully asserted that the share had already been finalised in 2013, as reflected in official records of the then central government.

He advised the chief minister to study issues thoroughly before making public statements and to verify facts with officials.

"People are aware and can easily assess the accuracy of claims," he said.

He also countered allegations about delays in the refinery project, saying that between December 2013 and 2018, when the BJP was in power in the state, work on the project had stalled.

The opposition leader also said that although the chief minister visited the refinery site after the incident, detailed information about the discussions held there has not been shared with the public.