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Petrol pumps: BJP for limited CBI probe

Asserting that there was no discretionary allotment of petrol pumps, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said it was open to a CBI probe into any "specific case of bungling" in the matter.

"The government has already clarified there was no discretionary allotment by the ministry except in the case of Kargil martyrs. However, if there are specific cases involving monetary and political influence, such allotments should be cancelled and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) inquiry ordered into them," party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters in New Delhi.

He claimed the petroleum minister had no role in the allotments, which were made by a three-member board headed by a former high court judge as per the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the Satish Sharma case.

Alleging that there were more petrol pumps allotted in the name of Congress functionaries or their relatives, Malhotra said the issue had come up for discussion twice or thrice at the BJP Parliamentary Party meetings where members had complained that Congress workers were getting preferential treatment even now as against the common man.

"The total number of allotments are in thousands out of which some names have been released. We too can come out with a larger list of Congress functionaries who have benefited," he said adding the Congress party was "shameless" as during its regime "there was only discretionary quota."

Malhotra said the matter was already before two Standing Committees of the House including the one on petrochemicals headed by Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.

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