Left, TMC demand govt clarification on PNB fraud case

The Left and the Trinamool Congress on attacked the government on the PNB fraud case and asked it to clarify how was accused Nirav Modi present in a group photo of Indian CEOs with the Prime Minister in Davos.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury questioned how billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi was allowed to escape the country.

“If this person had fled India before the FIR on Jan 31, then he is here, photographed at Davos with PM, a week before the FIR, after having escaped from India? Modi government must clarify (sic),” Yechury tweeted.

“There is a pattern in how people who have defrauded Banks in India, are allowed to escape by the Modi government,” he had earlier said in another tweeted on Thursday.

Yechury also alleged that the government allowed the rich to loot public money while the poor and the middle class had to pay taxes, reports PTI.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday demanded a thorough investigation into the fraudulent transactions worth $1.8 billion in Punjab National Bank and said she would not let the Central government off the hook until the people’s money is secured.

Banerjee said she has written to the Finance Ministry to scrap the proposed Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill.

“Today people are shocked to see what has happened in the Punjab National Bank in Mumbai. There has been a scam of Rs 11,000 crore. This is the money of common people. Who took away the money? Who ate it up?” she asked during a public meeting in Jhargram district.

“Offenders will run away after stealing the money but what will happen to the common man? Scams like this must be investigated. The security of people’s money must be ensured. We will not let them (the Central government) off the hook until that happens,” she said.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien also criticised the government.

“How big is Rs 11,000 cr ? Budget 2018 New Health and Education Cess to collect Rs 11000 cr from hardworking taxpayers,” he tweeted.

CPI leader D Raja asked why the CBI took so long and the bank authorities failed to initiate an enquiry.