Congress slams government over Vijay Mallya issue

Keeping up the offensive on the Vijay Mallya issue, the Congress on Monday asked the government whether it will seek his deportation from the UK or put his case in “cold storage” by going in for his extradition as, it claimed, was done in the matter related to Lalit Modi.

“Will the government seek deportation of Vijay Mallya so that precious public money amounting to Rs 9,091 crore can be recovered at the earliest Or, whether the government proposes to put this case in cold storage by seeking extradition through a multi-layered statutory process lasting years ” party’s chief spokesmen Randeep Surjewala and P.L. Punia said, posing questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ridiculing the Centre, Mr Surjewala alleged that Mr Mallya has run away from India and under the “fair & lovely scheme” of the BJP government, he has “become truly a double NRI — Non-Repaying Indian and Non-Returning Indian”.

In a joint statement, the Congress leaders sought to know from the PM whether Mr Mallya met and spoke to finance minister Arun Jaitley before he suddenly left the country.

He claimed that instead of fulfilling the solemn promise of bringing back blackmoney within 100 days, the Modi government’s track record, in last 22 months, stands out “for escape of first Lalit Modi and now Vijay Mallya to foreign shores”.

In a joint statement, the Congress leaders sought to know from the Prime Minister whether Mr Mallya met and spoke to finance minister Arun Jaitley before he suddenly left the country on March 2, 2016.

“Whether Arun Jaitley informed and gave details of this conversation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Will the complete details of this meeting and conversation be shared with Parliament and people of India ” they asked.

Besides, they sought to know why the CBI changed the “look out notice for detention” dated October 12 last year into a “look out notice for information only” dated November 30 last year. “Was it done under political pressure ”

“We urge the Modi government to rise above rhetoric and face the truth. We urge it to put an end to its ‘fair & lovely scheme’ and take decisive action against Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya in national interest,” they said.

Notices against Vijay Mallya referred to ethics panel Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari on Monday referred notices by some members against industrialist Vijay Mallya to the Ethics Committee of the Upper House. The Rajya Sabha earlier saw Cong-ress MPs demanding that Mr Mallya be brought back to India, along with former IPL chief Lalit Modi. They accused the government for not acting against Mr Mallya, who left the country earlier this month.

The issue was raised by Congress member Pramod Tiwari and later other Congress MPs trooped into the Well of the House raising slogans against Mr Mallya and Lalit Modi.

Amid ruckus, deputy chairman P.J. Kurien allowed the Zero Hour and informed that Mr Tiwari’s notice on the issue has not been accepted by chairman Hamid Ansari.

Earlier, Mr Tiwari clai-med that the beleaguered industrialist was elected to the Rajya Sabha with BJP support.

Despite ruckus in the House, SP’s Naresh Agarwal raised the issue of the arbitrary manner in which airlines hike their fare and suggested a regulatory mechanism for the issue. Many members, including from the BJP, Congress, associated with Mr Agarwal’s suggestion.

To this, Prof. Kurien said that he also agrees with the SP members and asked the government to examine the suggestion of regulatory mechanism to look into the airfare.

JD(U)’s Ali Anwar Ansari also raised the issue of non-implementation of reservation policy in institutions of higher education.