Govt blames crop failure

GANDHINAGAR, SEPT 10: Even as the Congress keeps harping on the issue, Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel has denied the charge that the sudden rise in the groundnut oil prices was linked with election funds being collected by the ruling BJP from oil millers.

The Chief Minister, at his weekly media briefing, attributed the sudden increase in the groundnut oil prices to the failure of ground crop, but failed to explain how and why the prices had started shooting up immediately after polling in the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday.

8220;The price rise in groundnut oil has nothing to do with the elections. The groundnut crop has failed in Saurashtra due to the inadequate rains, and hence this price rise. It was the Congress which used to collect poll funds from oil millers when it was in power. The Opposition8217;s allegation that the BJP has collected funds from oil millers is baseless and politically motivated,8221; Patel said.