Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today alleged that "the previous government", just before it lost power in 2014, "signed certain documents", which allowed diamond merchant Nirav Modi commit a fraud at the Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Speaking at a programme organised by a television news channel here, he said, "I was trying to understand how Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi (the prime accused in the Rs 11,400-crore alleged PNB scam) got all the benefits.
"I found out that the previous government, four-five days before going out of power, signed some documents which enabled them (Modi and Choksi) to commit the fraud worth thousands of crores of rupees."
The BJP leader added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not let any scamster live in peace and would bring the diamond merchant back to the country and make him face the law.
Asked if a group photo featuring Nirav Modi and the prime minister, taken at Davos, could harm the latter's image, Fadnavis said, "When an organisation like the CII brings its delegation, no checks are done on the people involved. We are living in an era where anybody can click a picture anytime, anywhere.
"Even 50 Nirav Modis cannot spoil the image of the prime minister because of his strong credibility."
He claimed that the "misdeeds" of the previous Congress-led UPA government had come out in the open during the current BJP-led NDA government's tenure, adding that the "opposition cannot run away from facts".
The UPA was dislodged from power at the Centre by the NDA in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
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