Congress trying to shield Koda: BJP

The BJP on Tuesday alleged that the Congress was trying to shield the former Jharkhand Chief Minister, Madhu Koda, accused in a multi-crore money laundering case, and demanded a high-level probe into the scandal.

The Congress supported the Madhu Koda government and was the main “beneficiary” of the scam, BJP leaders alleged. They also demanded tabling of all the details regarding the scam in Parliament and asked the government to disclose the names of all those found in the “diary.” Heated arguments between the BJP and Congress members also led to adjournments in both Houses.

In the Lok Sabha, Shahnawaz Hussain of the BJP alleged that Congress leaders were “hand-in-glove” with Mr. Koda, who got only a small share of the entire money. The Congress was trying to save Mr. Koda, and the State administration, which is under the President’s Rule, was involved in destroying evidence against Mr. Koda and other leaders involved, he alleged.

In the Rajya Sabha, M. Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) demanded a discussion on the issue of corruption in Jharkhand. He feared that people whose names had been published in the diaries seized by the investigating agencies might be eliminated.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.K. Bansal said the issue was under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax authorities and the law would take its own course.