Gadkari faces controversy over letter to Bansal

The Congress alleged that the BJP leader was interested in getting payments of some of his associates cleared expeditiously.

Gadkari defended his letter and said he had sought clearance of payments so that the project aimed at enhancing irrigation potential in farmer suicide-prone Vidarbha gets completed.The BJP president declared he had no links with any contractor and had done no wrong and charged the Congress with trying to defame him by making false allegations.

Congress leader Digvijay Singh told a news channel that Gadkari "was not interested in projects" but in payments. He said while BJP leaders in Maharashtra were talking of exposing "corruption done by contractors" in Gosikhurd dam in Vidarbha, Gadkari was seeking their payments.Digvijay Singh wondered in how many other projects, Gadkari had written similar letters and questioned his business links with Ajay Sancheti.

Gadkari's political rivals have claimed the letter to Bansal was aimed at benefiting his associate Sancheti.