Rahul Gandhi demands probe, Asks Arun Jaitley to step down

Congress President Rahul Gandhi demanded an immediate probe into the extremely serious allegations made by Indian business tycoon Vijay Mallya against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who had met him before leaving the country.

Rahul Gandhi urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch an independent probe into this alleged meeting. He also asked Arun Jaitley to step down from the ministry, while the probe is underway.

As media flashed news of Vijay Mallya and Arun Jaitley’s meeting, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and wrote, “Given Vijay Mallya’s extremely serious allegations in London today, the PM should immediately order an independent probe into the matter. Arun Jaitley should step down as Finance Minister while this probe is underway.”

Vijay Mallya on Wednesday came back to London for his high profile extradition hearing, after concluding his extradition hearing he was seen speaking to media. He said, “I left because I had a scheduled meeting in Geneva…I met the finance minister before I left India. Repeated my offer to settle with the banks. That’s the truth.”

Also read: Vijay Mallya extradition hearing: Everybody gets paid, touts settlement offer

The phrase used by Mr Mallya is that ‘he met the Finance Minister’. It does not suggest a passing, casual or walking meeting in Parliament.

Since Vijay Mallya fled from the country after committing a fraud of Rs 9,000 Cr, Congress had been asserting that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had helped him to leave the country. Despite knowing all these, Narendra Modi government has badly failed to bring him back.

While commenting in his defence, Arun Jaitley said that “Mr Mallya misused the privilege of being a Rajya Sabha member on “one occasion”.

These are some questions which remain unanswered?

“The moot question remains, why was no action taken against him? Why was he allowed to leave when everyone was cognisant and everyone was aware! How could he have left after everyone knew of these debts and after he had made offer to settle,” Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi added.

Since Vijay Mallya made it clear saying he met Arun Jaitley before leaving the country and asked his to facilitate to settle an offer. Opposition parties are taking digs at Narendra Modi led government.

Congress media in-charge Randeep Surjewala also took to Twitter and said that Mr Mallya’s “consultation meetings” with the “Fiscal Management Blog Minister” makes it clear that the BJP is running “tour travels and immigration” for “loot scoot and settle abroad” brigade.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said Mr Mallya’s revelation puts the Modi government in the dock. This only reconfirms how the government enabled big defaulters to loot public money and scoot.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal did not leave a chance to question Modi government asking, what transpired between Nirav Modi and Narendra Modi’s meeting and Vijay Mallya and Arun Jaitley’s meeting before leaving the country?

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers need to explain their meetings with the economic fugitives. “PM Modi meets Nirav Modi before he flees the country. Finance Minister Vijay Mallya before he flees India. What transpired in these meetings? People want to know,” Kejriwal said.

Minutes later, Mallya clarified his statement and said that he never met Arun Jaitley formally. He said he met him at several occasions when he was a member of the Rajya Sabha, but never met him formally. He said that my statement was blown out of proportion by the media.

Also read: Vijay Mallya extradition: England court to announce verdict on December 10