New Delhi: The multi-crore PNB bank fraud and the Rotomac issue is set to rock the second leg of Parliament’s Budget Session with the Congress saying it would talk to other like-minded parties to demand answers from the government on the state of the banking sector in the country.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said his party would not let go of the issues till the government gives a satisfactory response.
The second leg of the Budget Session of Parliament is slated to commence from March 5.
He said the Congress would demand answers from the government not just on the Rs 11,400-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud involving diamond merchant Nirav Modi and the Rotomac fraud issue, but on the credibility of the entire banking sector.
Tewari also termed the purported letter of Nirav Modi to PNB as “full of arrogance”, and said it insinuates in it that he would not return the money he owes. This arrogance, he said, comes as if he has an assurance from someone powerful at the helm of affairs that no harm will come to him.
“The second part of the Budget Session is starting and the Congress will talk to other parties which have concern over the country’s banking sector and will demand answers from the government on the issue,” Tewari told reporters.
“This is only the tip of the iceberg. The banking sector is in serious trouble. The government is trying to obfuscate the facts. They are trying to hide the enormity of the crisis which is afflicting the banking sector,” he said, adding that the government needs to come clean on all facts.
“Till the time the government addresses the issue, we will not leave it there,” he said, adding all political parties which are hurt by “malgovernance” will come together in Parliament on the issue and ask the government to break its silence.
“You have seen how all political parties got together to meet the President on the issue of probe into CBI judge Loya’s death case. Answers will be demanded from the government on these issues in Parliament,” the Congress leader said.
Tewari also dared the government to direct banks to come out with details of all their non-performing assets (NPAs) along with the list of defaulters and publish the same.
“We would once again reiterate that Mr Prime Minister and Mr Finance Minister the time has come for the NDA-BJP Government to direct all public and private sector banks to make all details about NPAs and bank frauds public,” he said, adding that nothing short of a full and a complete disclosure, will now satisfy this country.
He said the Congress was giving some time to the government to come out with details of the bank scam and “if has a little bit of shame left”, it would come out with all details.
The Congress would go to grassroots level to raise the banking fraud issue among the public, Tewari said.
“If the government of India has the courage and conviction, let them release information regarding total NPAs and list of defaulters,” the Congress spokesperson said.
On the issue of the Income Tax department serving a notice to the wife of Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi, Tewari said that this was a clear case of political vendetta and asked whether the I-T or ED has questioned the person who made the entries of these loan sanctions.
He also asked whether the government has any knowledge of the whereabouts of Nirav Modi, and alleged that such a letter can be written by a person who has “protection” from the powers-that be in the government.
“Does the Government of India know the location or the whereabouts of Shri Nirav Modi?…Where is this gentleman who is writing these letters?” he asked.
Contending the claims made by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Tewari dared him for an open debate on the issue of NPAs during the NDA and the UPA dispensations as also on the state of the economy after the BJP-led government came to power.
PTI