The Congress has not discussed with other parties the issue of seeking a probe into the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud through a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), its senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said today.
Speaking to reporters here, Azad chose to not reply on Army Chief Bipin Rawats comments on the faster growth of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam vis--vis the BJP in Assam.
However, in the same breathe, he accused the ruling BJP of trying to divert attention from the PNB fraud.
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No, we have not had any discussion on this, Azad said while replying to a query about whether the Congress Working Committee had last week authorised him to speak to other "like-minded" parties on pressing for a JPC to probe the fraud, involving billionaire diamond merchant Nirav Modi.
All India Congress Committee general secretary Azad, however, said the issue will be flagged in the House when the Parliament session resumes on March 5.
On the CPI(M) seeking a JPC probe into the matter, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha added, We will discuss it when the Parliament session is there.
Asked about Rawats remarks, Azad said he would not reply on the remark.
But I would simply say that in the coming days, the BJP will point fingers on so many leaders, parties, to divert the attention from Nirav Modi. They are going to make heaven and hell together to divert the attention of the people, he added.
Seeking to underscore difference between the previous UPA and the current NDA governments, Azad said the Manmohan Singh dispensation had conducted all sort of enquiries when the then Opposition, led by the BJP, took up the issue of alleged 2G spectrum scam.
Under this (NDA) government, why every fraudster is going to London and is not coming back? And why all of them have some nexus with top leadership of the present government, directly or indirectly? Azad asked, apparently referring to liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is fighting an extradition trial at a court in the British capital.
Referring to reports of increase in Muslim population in several districts of Assam, the Army Chief had yesterday observed that the Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF had grown in the state "faster" as compared to the BJP in the 1980s.
He had also stated that a "planned" influx of people from Bangladesh into the Northeast was taking place as part of a proxy warfare by Pakistan with support from China with an aim to keep the area disturbed.
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