BJP flays PC getting finance, elevation of Shinde as HM

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday took potshots at the elevation of Sushil Kumar Shinde to the home ministry from power soon after the multiple electricity grid failure and said P Chidambaram should not have been given finance portfolio because of the Aircel-Maxis deal controversy.

"On the day the power grid failure took place which put 23 states and 64 crore people in darkness, Power Minister Shinde was given an instant reward by the prime minister when he made him the home minister. Such a reward for inefficiency is unparalleled," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

The party maintained that instead of Shinde resigning or being asked to step down, he has been given an 'instant promotion'.

Javadekar said Chidambaram should not have been given the Finance portfolio as a 'matter of propriety' as his name had cropped up in connection with the controversial Aircel-Maxis deal.

"It was a malafide takeover. And how did the Foreign Investment Promotion Board give permission when Chidambaram was the finance minister? Is this reshuffle a bid at a cover-up exercise?" he said.

The BJP also hit out at the government for giving the important power portfolio to Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily as an 'additional charge; and insisted this

'shows a lack of seriousness on the part of the government in dealing with the power crisis'.

"Moily himself has become a minister on transfer. First, he was transferred from the law and justice ministry to the corporate affairs ministry and now to power," Javadekar said.

Javadekar also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying unless his role in the government and the ruling party is decided, the younger lot will not be given a chance.

BJP also said Unite Progressive Alliance is not spoilt for choice and has limited talent to choose from.

"The UPA has limited cards to shuffle from. The ace, king and queen are not part of the pack and are not in contention," Javadekar said. Asked whom he was referring to, he refused to elaborate.

He described the cabinet reshuffle as a 'futile exercise' alleging the country will not benefit from it. "The government should explain how the country will gain from this," he said.