Rahul Gandhi regularly attacks PM Modi over alleged corruption in the Rafale jet deal.
Highlights
- Rahul Gandhi, his sister rented property to Jignesh Shah: Sambit Patra
- The money went directly into Rahul Gandhi's account, Mr Patra claimed
- The property was rented in 2013 at Rs. 7 lakh per month, Mr Patra said
Rahul Gandhi received money from a businessman, who is the prime accused in a Rs 5,600 crore scam, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged today. The BJP leader also likened the Congress chief to Alibaba surrounded by 40 chor (thieves), referring to a popular folk tale "One Thousand and One Nights" from "Arabian Nights".
Quoting a news report, Mr Patra said that Rahul Gandhi and his sister rented their property to scam-accused businessman Jignesh Shah. The money went directly into Rahul Gandhi's account, Mr Patra claimed.
"We have come to know that there is a lavish farmhouse of 4.69 acre in Delhi's Mehrauli area in the name of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. The property was rented to Shah, owner of Financial Technologies Ltd, in February 2013 at Rs 7 lakh per month."
The rent agreement was made almost 10 months after the Congress-led government issued a show cause notice to Mr Shah's company in April 2012, Mr Patra said. During this period, no action was taken against the businessman.
The Congress party has been making corruption allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France. Rahul Gandhi alleges that PM Modi cancelled the previous deal to strike a new one to benefit his friend and businessman Anil Ambani.
He often uses the term "chowkidar" or watchman to attack the prime minister who, Mr Gandhi says, projected himself as a "chowkidar", but never specified as to whom he was serving. While underscoring PM Modi's silence on the Rafale deal, Mr Gandhi claimed that the "country's chowkidar is a thief". "Galli galli me shor hai, Hindustan ka chowkidar chor hai (This is the cry in every lane, India's watchman is a thief)".
In his counter-attack, Mr Patra said that Alibaba (Rahul Gandhi) himself is neck deep in corruption cases, but keeps screaming "chowkidar hi chor" because the Congress president is "scared".
"Alibaba chalis chor machaye chowkidar ka shor. Alibaba (Rahul Gandhi) promoted thefts by innumerable ways in this country. Corruption and Congress are synonymous, and Congress is equal to Rahul Gandhi," Mr Patra said.
He said that the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL), founded by Jignesh Shah, was set up without any regulations by the UPA government in 2007.
Mr Shah deposited Rs 40.2 lakh into the bank account of Rahul Gandhi. "Two cheques each of Rs 20.1 lakh interest free was deposited in his account. We want answers from Rahul Gandhi over the issue," he said.
The NSEL's payment troubles started after it was ordered by regulator Forward Markets Commission in July 2013 to suspend spot trade in most of its contracts due to suspected trading violations.
The exchange could not settle the outstanding trades, sparking investigations by the police and regulators to find out whether the exchange had defrauded traders by not enforcing rules requiring sufficient collateral to be set aside.
Financial Technologies India blamed NSEL executives and the trading parties for the default. There were 24 members who defaulted payment to about 13,000 investors.
Disclaimer: NDTV has been sued for 10,000 crores by Anil Ambani's Reliance Group for its coverage of the Rafale deal.