Kejriwal claims Goa Congress chief involved in mining with CM’s ‘blessings’; he rejects it
Panaji (PTI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday alleged that Goa Congress chief Amit Patkar runs mining business with the “blessings” of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, drawing a sharp rebuttal by the Congress leader.
Rubbishing the claim, Patkar asserted that his family’s mining business had existed for generations.
Addressing a public meeting in the Mayem constituency in North Goa after inaugurating AAP leader Shrikrishna Parab’s office, Kejriwal claimed, citing a conversation with a fellow passenger on his way to Goa, that Patkar owns mines in the coastal state.
“That cannot happen (owning mines) without the blessings of the chief minister. Both are together. They just claim to have different political affiliations - one is Congress and the other is the BJP,” he said.
Over the past 60 years, Kejriwal said, 13-14 families have maintained their grip over politics in Goa.
“Their grandfather was contesting, then their son and now their grandson is contesting the election,” he said, adding that such individuals do not contest polls for the sake of the people but for their own benefits.
“These families are not just in the BJP, but also in the Congress. Even major businesses, contracts and big land parcels are with them,” he claimed.
The time is appropriate to “change” the system so that the people have rights over their resources, said the ex-Delhi CM.
Responding to Kejriwal’s claim, Patkar wrote on X, “Mr @ArvindKejriwal, as a former IRS (Indian Revenue Service) officer and Ex Chief Minister, you should know that public statements must be based on facts — not on gossip overheard from a co-passenger on a flight.”
“Repeating baseless rumours to defame me is irresponsible and unbecoming of your position,” Patkar said.
The Congress Goa chief said, “My family’s mining concessions leases existed for generations — much before you were even born — and were abolished by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in 2013.”
He also invited Kejriwal to a public debate in Goa during the AAP leader's current visit.
“Let’s discuss facts, not fiction. Stop misleading Goans with gossip and show some basic decency before speaking about others,” Patkar said.
Kejriwal arrived in Goa on Friday evening on a three-day visit to the coastal state.
Addressing the media outside Dabolim Airport, he said AAP would form the government in Goa on its own after the 2027 assembly polls. In the 40-member Goa assembly, AAP now has two MLAs.
Kejriwal said people have lost faith in the ruling BJP and opposition Congress. “The BJP has been ruling Goa for the last 13 years. The Congress has been supporting the BJP to form the government by providing MLAs,” he claimed.
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ED attaches Anil Ambani's 'Abode' worth Rs 3,716 crore in PMLA case
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said it has attached Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani's Mumbai house, 'Abode', worth Rs 3,716 crore under the anti-money laundering law.
The attachment comes a day before Ambani, 66, is expected to appear before the federal probe agency here for his second round of questioning on Thursday in a case linked to the alleged bank loan fraud involving Reliance Communications (RCOM).
The luxurious house, which is stated to be 66-metre high with 17 floors, is located in the Pali Hill area of Mumbai.
A provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach the multi-storeyed house in the case linked to an alleged bank fraud by Ambani's group company RCOM, the federal probe agency said in a statement.
It stated that the value of the attached asset was Rs 3,716.83 crore.
A part of this property, worth Rs 473.17 crore, was similarly attached by the ED in November, 2025.
RCOM and its group companies availed loans from domestic and foreign lenders with a total outstanding of Rs 40,185 crore, as per the ED.
An email sent by PTI to the Reliance Group seeking comment on the development remained unanswered.
The ED issues a provisional attachment order against an immovable or movable asset to prevent the accused from transacting, selling, or transferring it during the investigation.
Once the PMLA Adjudicating Authority confirms this order within the stipulated 180 days, the ED can confiscate the property and, in the case of a house, ask residents to vacate it.
Probe found that, among other assets, the Pali Hill property (Abode) was aggregated into the RiseE Trust, a private family trust of the members of Ambani's family.
"This was done to make it appear as though Mr Anil Ambani is not involved. The intended effect of this corporate restructuring was to ensure wealth preservation and resource generation by aggregation of the property in the RiseE Trust and shield it from the personal liabilities of Mr Anil Ambani in the form of Personal Guarantees extended by him to lender banks against the loans sanctioned to RCOM," the agency claimed.
It added that the property was intended to be "beneficially" used and owned by the Anil Ambani family and not for the distressed public banks whose loans became non-performing assets (NPAs).
With the latest order, the total value of the attachment in this case stands at about Rs 15,700 crore.
Ambani is expected to appear before the federal probe agency here for his second round of questioning on Thursday.
He first deposed before the ED in August 2025 and had his statement recorded under the PMLA.
The agency recently constituted a special investigation team to probe multiple cases of alleged bank fraud and linked financial irregularities against the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) on the directions of the Supreme Court.
