BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during an election campaign rally in Unnao on Sunday.
A day after the BJP released a video to target Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra on his alleged land deals, the Congress has distributed photographs and a CD that it alleges show the BJP's prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi with a man that it claims is a "
hawala operator." (
Track LIVE updates)
The Congress released several photographs that show a man called Afroz Fatta among a group of people with Mr Modi and other BJP leaders. Mr Fatta, Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, was raided by the Enforcement Directorate last month in connection with a multi-crore
hawala or money laundering case in Surat, Gujarat.
Mr Surjewala said that the BJP website and the personal website of Mr Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, "proudly display" these photographs and demanded that Mr Modi explain why. "Will Mr Modi agree to an independent probe," the Congress leader asked.
Minutes later Zaffar Sareshwala, a Gujarat businessman known to be close to Mr Modi, told NDTV that these were photographs from a meeting two years ago between a delegation of about 35 people from across Gujarat and Mr Modi, who is the state's chief minister. "This pic is there on public display, its not hidden...It was not a closed door meeting, it was in public domain," Mr Sareshwala said, dismissing the Congress allegations "ridiculous."
As a parting shot he added, "I was introduced to Patta by some prominent Congress people."
On Sunday, the BJP had released an eight-minute video that it called the "Robert Vadra model of development" and a six-page booklet titled "Damad (son-in-law) Shree" which referred to the alleged deals of Mr Vadra in Rajasthan and Haryana. (
BJP's sharpest ever attack on Robert Vadra)
The BJP has alleged that, "There was gross violation of laws relating to land and environment. The influence of the (Gandhi) family helped make Vadra big earnings in the deals." (
Opinion: BJP's 'damad shree' attack on Robert Vadra)
The Congress hit back, saying its political rival is regurgitating old and baseless allegations at election time.