Reliance takes to social media to refute Kejriwal's allegations

Under attack for the close connections between the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat and the Congress-led government at the centre, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries has taken to social media to refute the allegations.

Reliance on Thursday refuted AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's allegations of receiving favours from a Gujarat minister who is related to company promoter Mukesh Ambani, saying that the allegations are baseless and politically motivated.

RIL uploaded a video on YouTube to refute Kejriwal's allegation made on 7 March that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi made Ambani family's son-in-law Saurabh Patel a minister for energy, petrochemicals and mining because of his "close relations with Mukesh Ambani".

Without naming Kejriwal or Patel, the three-minute video in Hindi, the link of which was circulated to media by the company's corporate communication department, tries to state the allegations levelled against the company are "baseless, unwarranted and politically motivated to mislead people".

"The statement is fraught with poor knowledge of the constitutional scheme and is aimed only to misinform. The concerted action of the parties... has caused injury to our unblemished record of service to the economic well-being of India," RIL said in the covering email sharing the video link.

"A strange and irresponsible statement by a political leader at the India Today Conclave on March 7, 2014 was aired live and placed on the social media," it said.

"It is therefore, incumbent upon us to place the record straight. Accordingly, a video release is being shared," it said.

An unknown person in the video claims that Patel, who is the minister for energy and petrochemicals, mines and minerals, salt industries, printing, planning, tourism, civil aviation, labour and employment in the Modi government, could not have helped Reliance even if he wanted to since natural gas and petroleum are central subjects over which state governments does not have any jurisdiction.

The allegations of the minister extending favours to Reliance in gas, petroleum, energy and mining business are untrue, it said, adding that RIL has no mining business in Gujarat and that all the power used by its units in the state come from captive or self-generated power plants and not from state grid.