'Come clean on Mallya': Rahul demands probe

Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya’s claim in London on Wednesday that he had met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before he left India triggered a slug-fest with the Opposition mounting an attack on the government asking it come clean on its relations with the liquor baron.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi demanded an immediate probe into the “extremely serious” allegations made by Mallya and said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley should step down till the investigation is over.

“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 under way,” Gandhi tweeted.

Congress communication department chief Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the BJP of facilitating “smooth escape” of the liquor baron and others to “settle abroad”.

“After Mallya reveals his ‘consultation meetings’ before his smooth escape, with Fiscal Mismanagement Blog Minister Sh Jaitley – one thing is clear – BJP is running “tour travels & immigration” agency for “loot scoot & settle abroad” brigade,” Surjewala said.

Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said not just Jaitley, but the entire BJP leadership must come clean on their relationship with Mallya.

“This only reconfirms how this Modi government enables big defaulters to loot public money and scoot #LalitModi #Choksi #NiravModi,” CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the first to take to Twitter to attack the Modi government and demanding to know what transpired between the meetings between Mallya and Jaitley.

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said the government was “fully complicit” in the flight of Mallya and Punjab National Bank fraud accused Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi from India.