New Delhi: BJP on Friday said the suspension of Vijay Mallya’s diplomatic passport underscores the government’s resolve to take stringent action against the beleaguered industrialist, whose Kingfisher Airlines has defaulted on loans of over Rs 9,400 crore.
“It shows that the government will take all lawful measures to force Mallya to return to India and face the law. The government is working to ensure that he repays all the loans he owed to various banks,” party’s National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said.
The passport of Mallya, who is an MP and has been in Britain for over a month and has refused to appear before the Enforcement Directorate, was today suspended by the External Affairs Ministry on the recommendation of the agency.
Taking a dig at the UPA government, the BJP leader alleged it had “pushed” banks to give the industrialist a “bailout package” of Rs 3,100 crore when his Kingfisher Airlines was struggling and banks were unwilling to give him more loans.
“The UPA helped him while law is taking its course under the NDA. Nobody is above law now,” he said.
—PTI