Congress: ‘Conspiracy of Silence’ of PM & FM on Mallya is an admission of guilt

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and AICC National Media Panelist Jaiveer Shergil on Friday strongly criticised the Finance Minister and the Prime Minister for maintaining a ‘conspiratorial silence’ even after it was revealed that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met Vijay Mallya on March 1, 2016. On March 2 2016, the very next day Vijay Mallya left the country with 36 suitcases, completely unchecked and unhindered by any authority or agencies, including Police and CBI. Vijay Mallya has been accused of defaulting on loans worth ₹9,000 crores.

Addressing the media the Congress raised question on the role of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley;

• Senior Parliamentarian, PL Punia has gone on record to state that he saw Vijay Mallya and Arun Jaitley conferring in a corner of Central Hall for some time. On September 12, 2018 in a Facebook post, Arun Jaitley admits having met Vijay Mallya in the ‘Corridor of the Parliament’.
• Why did Arun Jaitley keep silence for over 30 months about his meeting with Vijay Mallya on March 1 2016? Why did Arun Jaitley not state this fact on the Floor of the Parliament in March 2016? Why did he not come clean about it earlier?
• Consortium of Banks led by SBI Management met Supreme Court Senior Advocate, Dushyant Dave on Sunday, February 28, 2016 for advice on Mallya. On Thursday, Dushyant Dave has gone on record to state that he advised SBI Management to move the Supreme Court the next very day i.e. February 29, 2016 and get the passport of Vijay Mallya confiscated. SBI Management and other banks never returned the next day for action against Vijay Mallya or for blocking his escape
• Who, in Modi government, told the SBI and other banks to not move the Supreme Court on February 29, 2016 to block the escape of Vijay Mallya? Why did the banks never return on February 29, 2016 to adhere to the advice of Dushyant Dave and get passport of Vijay Mallya confiscated? Why did the banks wait to move the Supreme Court against Vijay Mallya uptill March 5, 2016 when Vijay Mallya had already escaped on March 2, 2016? Does it not prove a sinister conspiracy to help Vijay Mallya?
• Mukul Rohtagi, the then Attorney General of India, has made a startling revelation that Vijay Mallya could have been possibly tipped off and, hence, ran away. After this statement, on what basis any agency can refuse to initiate an investigation into the great government-assisted escape of Vijay Mallya?

Commenting on the dubious role of investigating agency CBI, the Congress quoted some facts and asked:

• Who nudged the CBI to change the ‘Lookout Notice to detain Vijay Mallya’ in view of the overwhelming evidence that was stated in FIR and recovered by CBI in the raids dated October 10, 2015? Is it not correct that the ‘Lookout Notice to detain Vijay Mallya’ dated October 16, 2015 was based upon the material recovered by CBI in the raids on Vijay Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines on October 10, 2015?

“On August 19, 2014, SBI had issued a notice of ‘Willful Default’ against Vijay Mallya. On September 1, 2014, United Bank of India had declared Vijay Mallya a ‘Willful Defaulter’. In May 2015, Ministry of Corporate Affairs had ordered a full investigation by Serious Frauds Investigation Office (SFIO) into the affairs of Vijay Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines. On July 29, 2015, CBI had registered the FIR against Vijay Mallya. On October 10, 2015, raids on Vijay Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines had brought out further material, said the Congress spokesperson Surjewala.

• How can the CBI, then, today turn back and say that there was insufficient material to arrest a bank declared ‘Willful Defaulter’ and to change the ‘Lookout Notice’ from ‘detain’ to ‘inform’?