AAP accuses BJP of shielding Nirav Modi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 15

The AAP today accused the Narendra Modi government of “shielding” fraud-accused billionaire jeweler Nirav Modi as he is the son-in-law of the Ambanis while questioning the latter’s sharing of dais with the Prime Minister.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Modi government helped the prime accused of the staggering Rs 11,515 crore PNB fraud, flee India as in the case of liquor baron Vijaya Mallya. Nirav is charged with obtaining fraudulent letters of undertaking from a branch in Mumbai of the second largest public sector bank to get credit from abroad.

Coming down heavily, the Kejriwal-led AAP demanded that both PM and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley answer the country how they “shared camera” with the alleged tax defaulter in Davos.

Kejriwal tweeted, “Is it possible to believe that he or Vijay Mallya left the country without active connivance of the BJP govt?”

AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also questioned the Centre’s defense on the issue refusing to buy union minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad’s response to the allegations.

“The case of Nirav Modi scam that has come to the fore was not in the knowledge of the PM is unbelievable. The government is protecting him as the accused is Ambanis’ son-in-law. The entire Centre is standing behind him. This is a serious issue. The country’s PM and Finance Minister should explain to the country,” Singh alleged at a press briefing here.

Taking a swipe at the PM, the AAP leader further stated, “Modi scams are everywhere and money of people is no longer safe — be it in bank due to Nirav Modi, in house due to Narendra Modi (demonetisation) or IPL due to Lalit Modi.”

“The economic system of this country has been pushed into crisis. This is happening as a part of a conspiracy. This is being done to benefit the country’s businessmen at the cost of public exchequer. The loans given to them have emptied the country’s banks,” Singh claimed accusing the BJP government at the Centre.

“We have been saying that demonetisation is the fraud imposed on people by the Modi government. Banks were in a loss of Rs 8,55,000 crore then... and to compensate for this loss, the entire country was made to stand in queues,” Singh said while pointing out that the unpaid loans given to Ambanis (Rs 125,000 crore), Adani (Rs 96,000 crore ), Vedanta (Rs 13,000 crore), SR group (Rs 1,1000 crore) and Lanco (Rs 58,000 crore ) has left the country’s economy ailing.

PNB revealed yesterday about an over Rs 11,400 crore scam, in which its officials from a Mumbai branch helped Nirav and others in securing overseas credit without guarantees from other Indian lenders.