The Asian Age

Cong sniffs BJP role in Gujarat ‘ bitcoin scam’

Cong sniffs BJP role...

- AGE CORRESPOND­ENT

The Congress on Thursday alleged a multicrore rupee scam of converting black money into white through bitcoin transactio­ns in Gujarat and demanded a Supreme Court- monitored judicial probe into the ` 5,000 crores scam that allegedly involves BJP leaders.

Congress spokespers­on Shaktisinh Gohil said, “A new mega ‘ bitcoin scam’ worth more than ` 5,000 crores has been unravelled in Gujarat.”

He alleged that some reports said that the scam could even be to the tune of ` 88,000 crores.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Gohil claimed that the state’s top BJP leaders were involved in converting black money into white through hawala transactio­ns and named a former BJP MLA as the kingpin of a “blackmail” and “extortion” racket in which the state police was allegedly targeting Gujarat businessme­n, including those in Surat.

Mr Gohil cited the case of businessma­n Shailesh Bhatt from whom the Amreli district police allegedly extorted 200 bitcoins ( worth ` 10 crores) and demanded ` 32 crores in cash. An FIR has been registered in connection with this case.

The Congress leader alleged that demonetisa­tion was used by the BJP as a cover- up to convert “their black money” into white and now bitcoin cryptocurr­ency is being used to convert their black money into white and to extort money from businessme­n.

Referring to the note

ban, Mr Gohil said, “The BJP has no answers on how the Ahmedabad District Cooperativ­e Bank ( ADCB), whose director is BJP president Amit Shah, received old currency worth ` 745.58 crores in just five days and how ` 3118.51 crores were deposited in 11 district co- operative banks linked with BJP leaders in Gujarat.”

Rubbishing Congress claims as attempts to spread confusion and lies, BJP spokespers­on Anil Baluni said, “The dirty tricks department of the Congress is at work to spread confusion and lies. It is blaming the police which has uncovered the case. I wonder if the Congress is trying to help somebody in this case as part of a conspiracy.”

 ??  ?? Shaktisinh Gohil
Shaktisinh Gohil

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