New Delhi: Stepping up attack against the BJP government, the Congress on Tuesday alleged that bank frauds to the tune of Rs 54,317 crore had taken place under its watch and asked when Prime Minister Narendra Modi would speak up on the issue.
"Fleece, flee and fly is the new mantra of fraudster under the Modi-led government's watch. Fraud, malfeasance, bank loot, cheating, swindling of banks and common people are getting unraveled every day," party communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala alleged.
He said India demanded that the "prime minister switch from Neerav (silent) Modi i.e. 'Silent Modi' to 'Bol Modi'.
He claimed that information available through RTI on February 9, reflected that under the BJP government's watch, frauds and scams of Rs 19,317 crore were reported in India's economic capital-- Mumbai -- alone in last 3 years.
The RTI reply stated that in 2015, scams worth Rs 5,560.66 crore were reported, in 2016, scams worth Rs 4,273.87 crore and in 2017, scams worth Rs 9,838.66 crore, he said.
"What is even more astonishing is that 184 accused in these scams and frauds have escaped. Modi/Fadnavis governments appear to have given a one-way ticket to 'cheat and scoot'," he alleged.
"Time to tell the people as to how many fraudsters have already left for foreign shores and tax heavens. Even more inexcusable is the fact that out of Rs 19,317 crore, a pittance of Rs 2.50 crore could be recovered," he claimed.
The BJP, however, rejected the charge saying the frauds were committed during the Congress' regime and it could not absolve itself of "direct culpability, collusion and connivance in perpetrating these frauds".
BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said, "This is a classic case of a thief making noise in the hope that no one notices the real thief."
Seeking to turn the tables on the Congress, he alleged that some senior Congress leaders were either in jail or on bail and they could not mislead people with its lies.
"The eight bank fraud cases totalling Rs 54,318 crore which the party referred to at a press conference were perpetrated by the Congress government," Rao alleged.
"The manner in which procedures were flouted and the bank frauds were perpetrated clearly show the Congress' hand in these scandals," he claimed.
Earlier, Surjewala had alleged, "Accused abscond, banks and people are 'abandoned' and complicit BJP government 'looks on'!"
"'Fraud, malfeasance, bank loot, cheating and swindling of banks and common people are getting unravelled every day, as PM and FM are on an indefinite 'Maun Vrat' (vow of silence)," he alleged.
