Jaipur: Agriculture minister Kirori Lal Meena Friday accused the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of acting under political pressure to tarnish his image and challenged the agency to either arrest him if he was involved in the alleged fake seed bribery case or publicly clarify that he had no connection with it.Meena visited the ACB headquarters in Jaipur and sought a meeting with ACB director general Ravi Prakash Meharda, who was not present at the time. Speaking to reporters outside the office, the minister alleged that the agency was being used as a ‘political weapon’ against him.“It appears the ACB is working under pressure and trying to defame me. The agency has acted like a political weapon. The manner in which information related to the case was circulated was a deliberate attempt to tarnish my image. I want to tell the ACB not to cross the Lakshman Rekha in such matters,” Meena said.The minister also objected to references in the FIR to a “doctor” and a “minister”, saying they had created confusion among the public.“I am both a doctor and a minister. People are asking whether the FIR refers to me. If I am involved, I should be arrested. If not, the ACB should tell the people of Rajasthan who these references relate to,” he said.In a letter to the ACB chief dated June 18, Meena alleged that details of the FIR became public before it was officially uploaded on the agency’s website. He sought an inquiry into how information related to the case was leaked, claiming it fuelled speculation about his involvement.The controversy stems from a recent ACB case involving former Rajasthan State Seed Corporation independent director Jugal Kishore and agriculture dept officials over alleged irregularities linked to seed certification and approvals. References in the FIR to a “doctor” and a “minister” triggered political speculation, with opposition leaders seeking clarity on whether the remarks pointed to Meena.The minister reiterated that he had no role in the case and said the ambiguity in the FIR had damaged his reputation.“If I am the person referred to in the FIR, arrest me. If not, the ACB should place the facts before the public,” he said.Meena also questioned the pace of investigations in other corruption cases. He claimed that despite seven letters from the Rajasthan State Warehousing Corporation chairman, no significant action had been taken in alleged irregularity cases over the past two years. He further cited an alleged scam in Rampur gram panchayat in Karauli district, claiming that nearly ₹26 crore of ₹28 crore sanctioned for development works was misappropriated, yet no FIR had been registered.The matter has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with Meena alleging political targeting and the opposition demanding accountability in the fake seed bribery case.Reacting to the development, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said agriculture minister Meena’s press conference at the ACB headquarters had exposed infighting within the BJP government. “If a cabinet minister alleges that the ACB is being used as a political weapon, the chief minister must clarify the truth,” Gehlot said.
