The Congress today demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in Parliament on steps being taken by him to bring back the accused in bank frauds, and alleged that the people's hard-earned money has been "looted" and sent offshore under a government which had promised to bring back the black money stashed abroad.
Targeting Modi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and deputy leader Anand Sharma said the prime minister should "speak up" on the bank frauds.
"The Prime Minister should have come to both the Houses and made a statement. One scam after another is taking place in banks and the amount is worth thousands of crores of rupees," Azad told reporters.
He said the prime minister should tell the people of the country through Parliament on the steps he is taking to get back those accused of committing bank frauds and assure them on the steps he is taking to bring the guilty to book.
Azad alleged that the prime minister is unable to bring black money back to India, but has been successful in sending white money out of the country.
He said the prime minister makes frequent foreign visits and the BJP claims that he is very popular world-wide. "His popularity is no good for the country if he is unable to bring back to the country the people behind these huge bank scams," Azad said.
"He failed to bring back any such money. But, I will congratulate him for sending out white money from the country. Maybe, we made a mistake in hearing him," the Congress leader said, taking a swipe at the prime minister on his promise of cracking down on blackmoney hoarders.
Azad said it started with jeweller Jatin Mehta, who along with his wife left the country in 2016 after committing bank frauds of Rs 6,500 crore.
"The government also helped him get a citizenship of St Kitts," he alleged, and added that thereafter Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya left, followed by Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
Anand Sharma said Congress leaders like him, Azad and others had given notices for suspension of all business to discuss the "biggest bank fraud in the history of Independent India" in which "the loot of public money" is rising.
"Peoples money today is not safe. The government on its own, and the opposition has collectively demanded, should have agreed to what we are saying to discuss this because the peoples money is not safe in the banks.
"People of India, their hard-earned money, their savings are in bank deposits. That has been looted. Why has the Prime Minister chosen to be quiet?" he said.
Asking why the prime minister is quiet, Sharma said, "He should assure the country that he will bring them back and they will be punished under the law. Peoples money will be recovered. That is the message which the country wants to hear."
He said, "We have a situation, but Modi ji is silent on it. He talks of every other matter, but this."
The former union minister said the three accused Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Jatin Mehta, are involved in bank frauds to the tune of Rs 27,000 crore and alleged that all of them had access to the government and to its leadership.
"The Prime Ministers office received the complaint, RBI received the complaints, Serious Fraud Information Office (SFIO) and the Enforcement Directorate also received the complaints. So, when all the agencies were alerted, how were these people allowed to escape from the country, from the law of the land?," he asked.
Sharma also hit out at former CAG and current Banking Board chairman Vinod Rai, accusing him of "complete failure" to stop these frauds.
"Why is the Banking Board Chairman quiet? This is not notional loss. This is real loss and real loot. But he continues to be the favourite of the government.
"The prime minister and his finance minister, they know that the opposition will demand answers to these questions and they want to run away from their responsibility," he alleged.
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