Congress helped Nirav under 80:20 gold scheme: BJP

New Delhi: As the Congress upped its ante against the BJP led NDA government over bank scams and demanded a clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament over the issue, the ruling BJP on Monday mocked the Opposition party, saying the Congress party had “planted so many landmines” against itself during its earlier regime which keep blasting every now an then. The BJP raked up the UPA’s 80:20 gold import scheme to hit at the Opposition party.

The BJP had blamed the PNB bank scam, involving celebrity diamontaire Nirav Modi and his relative Mehul Choksi, on the failure in the banking system during the UPA regime.

The BJP sought to corner the Congress and former finance minister P. Chidambaram, alleging that he granted seven private firms, including scam-accused Gitanjali Gems, gold import benefits on the day of counting of 2014 Lok Sabha poll votes and asked the Congress how much “cut” was given to whom for the decision. The Congress along with other Opposition parties raised the issue on the first day of the budget session of Parliament, which resumed after a break on Monday.

Targeting the Congress and Mr Chidambaram, senior BJP leader and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that the then Congress-led UPA government “destroyed” the economy by not letting the real stressed assets get reflected in banks’ books and said total advances given by banks in the last six years of its rule rose to Rs 52.15 lakh crore from Rs 18.06 lakh crore in 2008. The Union minister said only 36 per cent of these advances were identified as stressed assets but they rose to 82 per cent and alleged that under the then “so-called economist” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and “super-economist” FM, Mr Chidambaram, the banking system was “sought to be derailed by interventions, patronage and pressure”.

Alleging that the then finance minister gave seven private firms benefits under 80:20 gold import scheme on May 16, 2014, the day Narendra Modi-led BJP was swept to power, ousting the UPA.

“What does it mean? On May 16, the Manmohan Singh government is losing, P Chidambaram’s chair is in danger... Chidamrabarm and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should tell us why this order to benefit seven private firms was passed on that day. Is it corruption or jumla (rhetoric)?” asked Mr Prasad. Mr Chidambaram has repeatedly used the term ‘jumla’ to mock the BJP government’s policies.