Congress leader and MP Digvijaya Singh has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the removal of Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari from the Cabinet.

Singh, who had approached the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Monday against Gadkari, said in the letter that the Ministry awarded a contract for the ₹10,050-crore Zojila pass tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir as a BOT project to IRB infrastructure Developers Ltd flouting CVC guidelines, and demanded a CBI probe into the issue. Gadkari had refuted these charges on Monday.

Writing to Modi, Singh said the award was designed, structured and implemented in such a way that CVC guidelines were violated. “The concession period for the project is 22 years. IRB will receive semi-annual annuity of ₹981 crore from commencing of construction of the project, which would be received twice in a year till the end of the concession period,” he said.

Singh has also furnished some official documents to the Prime Minister. He said the issue is a glaring example of conflict of interest and quid pro quo. “It is said that Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion. But since you have vowed “ Na khaaungaa, na khaane doonga ”, I hope that you would keep that in mind and take action.

“I request you to kindly examine the matter and take necessary actions immediately so as also to ensure that the first instalment of ₹981 crore is withheld till proper enquiry is made,” he said, adding that the matter is under CVC’s consideration.

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