Questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said “his silence speaks where his loyalties lie.”
Mr. Gandhi said the people of India are eager to know the “secret” behind the Prime Minister’s silence on the fraud case and questioned his efficiency in the role of a ‘watchman’.
The Congress party also said that Mr. Modi must answer who facilitated the escape of jewellery designer Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, owner of Gitanjali Gems.
The party also questioned the Prime Minister’s silence on a range of issues — from the PNB fraud case to the Rafale deal — and asked when he will address a ‘full-fledged, no-holds barred press conference like his predecessor”. .
Referring to his campaign speeches before the 2014 General Election when he had pitched himself as the country’s chowkidar (watchman) who will neither indulge in nor allow any corruption ( na khaoonga, na khaane doonga ), Mr. Gandhi too used Hindi idioms to attack him.
“First Lalit [Modi] and then [Vijay] Mallya, now Nirav [Modi)] also escaped. Where is the country’s watchman who claimed na khaoonga, na khaane doonga ? The public is eager to know the reason of Saheb’s silence. His silence though screams out where his loyalties lie?” tweeted Mr. Gandhi.
At a press conference, former UPA Minister Manish Tewari pointed out that the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Chandigarh, on August 4, 2017, had declared Mr. Choksi an absconder in a criminal case.
“We would like to know who facilitated the escape of Mehul bhai [as he is referred to by some people] when he was already proclaimed an offender by a competent court?” he asked.
Rafale deal
Mr. Tiwari also referred to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comment to The Hindu during a conversation in The Huddle conclave where she claimed the price of the Rafale jets had gone up by 300% in the course of the negotiations.
“Prime Minister Sir, your Defence Minister says prices have gone up by 300% between 2011 and 2014. Can you give the benchmark price for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. And what is the final purchase price of these aircraft?” he asked.
