The Congress demanded the resignation of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley here on Monday alleging conflict of interest in Jaitley’s daughter, an advocate, taking up businessman Mehul Choksi’s cases. Choksi is wanted in a bank scam and several other cases of fraud by various investigating agencies.
“Arun Jaitley’s daughter was on the payroll of thief Mehul Choksi. Meanwhile her Minister father sat on his file and allowed him to flee. She received money from ICICI a/c no: 12170500316. It’s sad that media has blacked out this story. But the people of India won’t,” Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.
The BJP did not respond to the questions, but said the Congress should rather talk about the rape charges registered by the Kerala Crime Branch against AICC general secretaries Oommen Chandy and KC Venugopal.
Congress leaders Sachin Pilot, Rajiv Satav and Sushmita Dev told reporters that collusion, connivance and conflict of interest in the Choksi issue was exposed as Jaitley’s daughter Sonali Jaitley got a payment of ₹24,00,000 as retainership for Choksi’s firm, Gitanjali Gems Ltd.
“Prime Minister’s Office, Finance and Corporate Affairs Ministry, Enforcement Directorate, SFIO, SEBI, BJP governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat were all aware of the Choksi’s scams, yet no action was taken,” the leaders said.
The leaders said all complaints against Choksi were admittedly referred by PMO to Finance Ministry in 2016 itself, yet no action was taken for over two years till January 2018, helping him to escape India.
“Why were Jaitley, his daughter and son-in-law neither summoned nor questioned by the CBI/ED/SFIO,” the Congress asked.