Stop Jet's security clearance: Sharad Yadav

Former civil aviation minister Sharad Yadav has written to the Prime Minister asking him to "stall any move to give security clearance to Jet Airways," alleging that the airlines had "close links with terrorists", even as the carrier's takeover of Air Sahara hangs in balance over security clearance to its chief Naresh Goyal.

"When I was civil aviation minister, the matter was also under consideration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation at that time. The clearance was not given because Ministry of Home Affairs had disturbing information about Jet Airways," he said in a letter to Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.

Jet threatens to call off Sahara deal

When contacted, a Jet Airways spokesperson declined to comment. Yadav said a Home Ministry report on Jet had found that Goyal and his airlines had been "steady recipients of large dubious investments originating from Gulf Sheikhs" and had intermittent contacts with "underworld dons Chhota Shakeel and Dawood Ibrahim to settle financial disputes."

"MCA (then) did not give security clearance due to the above information provided by the MHA," he said.

"I request you to stall any move to give security clearance to Jet Airways. India is facing international terrorism and by giving security clearance to the company, which has been found to be close to the recognised terrorists will be against the interest of the nation," Yadav said.

Stating that if the inputs got by the MHA were correct, he said Jet Airways does not deserve the clearance. "I wonder why the security clearance is being given... If the information given by the MHA to MCA was wrong then the officials who provided that information need to be prosecuted," he added.