Calling PM Narendra Modi 'pure as Ganga', BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed Rahul Gandhi's allegations
Highlights
- Prime Minister Modi is 'pure as Ganga', says BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad
- Congress named in AgustaWestland. They're feeling cornered: Mr Prasad
- Mr Gandhi alleged PM got paid off in crores as Gujarat Chief Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "pure as Ganga" said the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad in a swift reaction to Congress vice president
Rahul Gandhi's allegation that PM Modi was paid crores in kickbacks when he was Gujarat Chief Minister.
"I condemn the irresponsible, shameful allegations of Rahul... the public will never believe this. The country need not expect differently from Rahul, who under the Congress, has been the guardian of corruption," said Mr Prasad, a senior union minister, linking Mr Gandhi's comments at public rally in Gujarat today to corruption cases in which he alleged the Congress' first family is implicated.
"Congressmen and even the family has been named in AgustaWestland investigations. It is not surprising that they resorted to this baseless tactic given that they're feeling cornered," the minister said referring to recent developments in a deal for helicopters being investigated by the CBI. He also pointed out that Mr Gandhi is out on bail in the 5,000-crore National Herald case.
At a public rally in Mehsana in Gujarat, where assembly elections will be held this year, Rahul Gandhi said today that in the I-T records there are notings of Sahara officials' claims that they had paid nine times to Mr Modi between October, 2013 and February, 2014.
Mr Gandhi cited entries in diaries which, he said, were seized in income tax raids over two years ago. He also said that computer records from a Birla Group official during raids in 2013 referred to bribes to "Gujarat CM". He has demanded an "independent inquiry."
Mr Prasad said Mr Gandhi's allegations against the Prime Minister also stemmed from desperation after the Congress has been wiped in in civic elections held in several states. The BJP has credited its gains in these elections to PM Modi's decision to ban 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to weed out corruption and black or undeclared money.
Rahul Gandhi's allegations, BJP leaders say, are not new. Activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan had raised these in the Supreme Court, which rejected it saying, "This diary entry is not evidence. You can't cast aspersions on a constitutional authority on this evidence. Come with concrete evidence."
The court is expected to hear the case again in January.