Lucknow: Attempting to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Government at the Centre over liquor baron Vijay Mallya fleeing the country, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Sunday said that the government was framing the innocent people while offenders such as the former Kingfisher boss were allowed to leave the country.
“A non-bailable warrant has been issued now. Earlier, a red corner notice was issued and later withdrawn. The entire government is trying to frame innocent people. In OROP they have arrested Wing Commander Sharma, Kanhaiya Kumar for falsely indicted. So, the government is hell bent of framing the innocent and they allowed people like Vijay Mallya to leave the country,” Singh told ANI here.
“Another aspect of this issue is that, a debt worth one lakh fourteen thousand crore was pardoned, out of which Rs. 9, 000 crore is Vijay Mallya’s. Will the government take similar action on all those who owe more than Rs. 9000 crore,” he added.
Earlier, a Hyderabad Court issued non-bailable warrants against Mallya and defunct Kingfisher Airlines’ Chief Financial Officer A Raghunath and directed that the duo should be produced before the court on April 13.
Meanwhile, the Congress earlier asserted that the liquor baron was ‘made to abscond’ since a lot of ‘powerful’ people would be in trouble if he opened his mouth.
Mallya, who is currently in the United Kingdom and is being sought out in India over charges of money laundering, claimed that the banks gave him loans after evaluating all aspects, adding that he is not trying to evade the law enforcement agencies but is on a personal visit.
In an e-mail interview with the Sunday Guardian, the business tycoon said he feels that he has already been branded a criminal in the country and, therefore, it was not the right time for him to return.
The government had earlier told the Supreme Court that Mallya had left India on March 2 following which the bench issued notice to him and sought his response within two weeks on pleas filed by a consortium of banks seeking direction for freezing his passport and his presence before the apex court. (ANI)