Mumbai/Raipur: Congress launched a scathing attack on BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay Shah over his business dealings, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Monday sought to know if he was aware of the demonetisation decision of the Centre beforehand.
The BJP, however, came out in strong defence of Jay Shah and rejected the allegations against him.
"This is nothing but crony capitalism by the BJP. Why did Jay Shah close down his company a day before demonetisation was announced? Was he aware of what was going to happen in advance?" Chavan sought to know while speaking to reporters.
He said either Amit Shah or Finance Minister Arun Jaitley should clarify how Jay Shah's company increased its business manifold after the BJP came to power at the Centre in May, 2014.
Chavan claimed that a company owned by Jay Shah got a loan of Rs 10.36 crore from a public sector firm under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, headed by Piyush Goyal, against a collateral security of just Rs 6 crore.
"Jay's company did not have any previous experience in windmills or in the renewable energy sector. Yet, Goyal approved the huge loan against a collateral security of just Rs 6 crore," he said.
Chavan said Kusum Finserve, a company in which Jay Shah had a 60 per cent stake, bought wind farms in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, despite it being engaged in stock trading.
"Kusum Finserve was involved in trading of shares. Then, suddenly it bought wind farms in Ratlam. This again is an example of crony capitalism," he alleged.
"This raises many questions which cannot be shrugged off by filing a defamation suit. Amit Shah himself should answer whether he misused his position. These dealings should be probed by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI," Chavan said.
The Congress also demanded a probe monitored by the Supreme Court into a media report which claimed that a company owned by Amit Shah's son Jay Shah saw a huge rise in its turnover after the party came to power at the Centre in 2014.
"Either Amit Shah should immediately step down from his post or he should be relieved from the charge as the party president, so that allegations of irregularities levelled against his son Jay Shah's company could be probed independently," AICC spokesperson Pawan Khera said in a press conference.
He further suggested that a commission comprising two sitting judges of the apex court be set up for an independent and credible probe into the matter.
"Modiji had said 'na khaunga, na khane dunga'?(will not engage in corruption myself, nor allow others), but now the question is being raised over his party president's son.
"It is the right of the country's people to know the truth behind what was claimed in the media report regarding his (Jay's) company," Khera said.
He also questioned why a union minister (referring to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal) came out to defend Jay Shah, who is neither a minister in the union cabinet nor a BJP officer-bearer.
