New Delhi, Apr 14: Nationalist Congress Party supremo and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday told India TV that not a single paisa of his has been invested in Shahid Balwa's D B Realty Group.
Pawar rubbished allegations made by corporate lobbyist Niira Radia before the CBI that D B Realty group was actually owned by Sharad Pawar's family.
In a telephonic interview to India TV, Pawar however agreed that he had a 30-year-old relationship with the family which owned D B Realty group and "we have always received their cooperation".
On allegations by Niira Radia that Pawar had lobbied for 2G spectrum with former Communication Minister A Raja, Pawar said: "I never spoke to Raja about this. I look after the Agriculture Ministry".
Asked what could be the reason behind Radia pointing finger at him and his family, Pawar said, "I am not like Niira Radia to hold a news conference and point finger at any body. I just do not know why she said this."
PTI adds; Sharad Pawar said, "This is absolutely a lie and foolish statement. Her claim is absolutely irresponsible and a total lie and one should not give too much importance to her statement.
"I have no financial interest in this company. DB Realty and that telecom company I have no relations at all. I have no financial, not one 'naya paisa' interest in that company," the minister said.
He said he knew DB Realty's Vinod Goenka's father K M Goenka for the last 35 years and he had set up a milk processing unit in Baramati about 20 years back. "We, all farmers, are helping him in getting good quality milk. We have a relationship.There are no two opinions about that but we have no involvement or association with the telecom company," he said.
Pointing out that Radia had herself stated that she had no proof to back the charge, Pawar said he had no talk with the corporate lobbyist or anyone else with regard to grant of licence for spectrum use.
"I am looking after agriculture of the country, not telecom," he said.
Swan Telecom is one of the companies that allegedly benefited from 2G allocation scam. It was part of Mumbai-based DB Realty, which has since then become Etisalat DB. PTI
