Why Mallya, Lalit Modi still abroad? Rahul asks PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to bring back black money from overseas, then why liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL chief Lalit Modi are still abroad, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked on Thursday.

Addressing an election meeting here, Gandhi said, “Modi talked about bringing back black money from abroad and putting Rs 15 lakh in each Indian’s bank account. I ask why Mallya and Lalit Modi are still abroad then.” 

“(In one hand) Modi talks about bringing back black money and on the other hand Mallya flees the country. Two-three days before his departure, Mallya and (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley had talked in the Parliament House. I ask what discussion took place between them,” Gandhi said.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has launched “kala dhanko safed karlo” (convert your black money into white) scheme, while Modi talks about fighting black money, the Congress leader said and demanded that BJP speaks the truth.

He was referring to the new amnesty scheme announced in the Union Budget for black money-holders to come clean.

“Modi will lecture in Assam but will say nothing about Mallya, Lalit Modi or the ‘fair and lovely scheme’. They (BJP) think they can go on lying and people will go on listening to them,” he said.

Referring to the black money amnesty scheme, he said, “I have named it ‘fair and lovely scheme’ because any gangster, militant, criminal in India can convert their black money into white money by just going to the government and paying minimum tax on it.” 

Continuing his attack on Modi, the Congress Vice President claimed, “When Modi comes here he talks of development, but can there be development when an Indian is made to fight another Indian? On the other hand, we Congress live with love with one another. This is the difference.” 

“BJP-ASP (Asom Gana Parishad)  leaders will bring back what was there is the state 15 years ago. There had only been sad news, violence, people dying till Congress came and restored peace,” he said. There was no talk of progress or development in Assam during the AGP rule 15 years ago but only about violence, bomb blasts and children being killed, Gandhi claimed at another election rally in Moran.

“Business people here told me they are afraid that Assam will go back to those days when people were scared to step out of homes,” Gandhi said.