Nitin Gadkari slammed for ‘defending’ Mallya

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan slammed Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday stating that the minister is ‘defending’ businessman Vijay Mallya. He also asked whether the fugitive industrialist will now be inducted into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On Thursday, Nitin Gadkari had said that it was unfair to declare “one-time loan defaulter Vijay Mallyaji” as a “chor” (thief) after he had repaid his debts regularly for nearly fourty years.

Mr Chavan also highlighted the past statement of Mr Gad-kari, where he had remarked last year that in the BJP even criminals get reformed, the way Valya the robber turned into Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana.

“This is an attempt to turn Mallya into Valmiki. Mallya was elected to the Rajya Sabha twice on BJP support,” said Mr Chavan. “Is Mallya now going to be inducted into the BJP?” he asked.

Mr Gadkari had clarified that he has no business dealing with Mallya, who faces extradition from the UK for alleged bank fraud and money laundering. “If a person repays the interest for 50 years, and if he defaults once, then suddenly everything is fraud? This mindset is not correct), Mr Gadkari had said.