Cong ups ante on Niravgate, says Rs 31k-cr scam exposed so far

The Congress furthered its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday by pegging the total extent of financial frauds "that have taken place under his watch" at Rs 31,691 crore.

This includes fraudulent transactions carried out by jewellers Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi (Rs 22,606 crore) and their dues to private persons (Rs 5,000 crore), Rotomac Pens' dues to a consortium of banks (Rs 3,695 crore) and Dwaraka Das Seth Jewellers' defrauding a bank (to the tune of Rs 390 crore).

"We demand Narendra Modi to shift from being Maun Modi to Bol Modi because his credibility on taking action against corruption has come under the most serious cloud in his entire career," AICC spokesperson Randeep S Surjewala told reporters here, calling the financial frauds as 'Jan Dhan Loot Yojana'.

Surjewala released copies of Punjab National Bank's latest stock filings, in which the state-owned lender revealed that its exposure in the Nirav Modi case could increase by $204.25 million, in addition to the already disclosed $1.77 billion-worth fraudulent and unauthorised transactions.

"Flout, fleece and fly has become the modus operandi under the PM's watch. The story of loot and escape has become the buzzword of the BJP government," Surjewala said, recounting past cases of Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya fleeing the country.  

The banking sector has been "severely compromised" under the Modi administration, Surjewala charged, listing out seven stinging questions for the prime minister to answer. "As watchdogs, we will ask these questions from the Sansad (Parliament) to sadak (road)."

Surjewala took a jibe at BJP chief Amit Shah, who has dared Congress president Rahul Gandhi to prove that the Centre had waived of loans borrowed by industrialists. "It's time for Shah to question his own party government. A press released issued by the Press Information Bureau and RBI data prove that Rs 1.86 lakh crore has been waived."

Congress' seven questions

* How did Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi dupe the entire banking system?
* How was the entire system bypassed, including the 4-tier audit system of banks?
* Why did the PMO, ED, SEBI, Finance Ministry and other agencies not act on written complaints in 2015, 2016 and 2017?
* Who is protecting Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi?
* Does PM know Mehul Choksi? He was invited to a select gathering when Modi inaugurated the gold monetisation scheme in November 2015, where he referred to Choksi as Hamare Mehul Bhai.
* Despite litigation, why did the BJP government include Gitanjali Group as the only private collaborator in the Vibrant Gujarat summit?
* Why is BJP mum on connections Nirav Mod-Mehul Choksi have with party leaders - Shaina N C, Amruta Fadnavis (Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis' wife) and Anar Patel (daughter of a former Gujarat CM)?