The multi-crore PNB bank fraud and the Rotomac issue are set to rock the second leg of Parliament's Budget Session with the Congress saying it would talk to other like-minded parties and demand answers from the government on the state of the banking sector in the country.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said his party would not let go of the issues till the government gives a satisfactory response.
He said the Congress would demand answers from the government not just on the Rs 11,400-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud involving diamond merchant Nirav Modi and the Rotomac fraud issue, but on the credibility of the entire banking sector.
Also Read: PNB-Nirav Modi bank scam: Both internal, external auditors failed to detect fraud, CA professionals must introspect, says Arun Jaitley
"The second part of the budget session is starting and the Congress will talk to other parties which have concern over the country's banking sector and will demand answers from the government on the issue," Tewari told reporters.
"Till the time the government addresses the issue, we will not leave it there," he said, adding all political parties which are hurt by 'malgovernance' will come together in Parliament on the issue and ask the government to break its silence.
"You have seen how all political parties got together to meet the President on the issue of probe into CBI judge Loya's death case.
Also Read: PNB-Nirav Modi fraud case: RBI cautioned banks against SWIFT misuse thrice since August 2016
Answers will be demanded from the government on these issues in Parliament," the Congress leader said.
Tewari also dared the government to direct banks to come out with details of all their non-performing assets (NPAs) along with the list of defaulters and publish the same.
Terming the PNB fraud case as only a "tip of the iceberg", he demanded that the government provides a list of all NPAs that corporates owe the banks and said the Congress would go to grassroots level to raise the banking fraud issue among the public.
"If the government of India has the courage and conviction, let them release information regarding total NPAs and list of defaulters," the Congress spokesperson said.
On the issue of Income tax department serving a notice to the wife of Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi, Tewari said this is a clear case of political vendetta and asked whether the I-T or ED has questioned the person who made the entries of these loan sanctions.
Tewari also termed the purported letter of Nirav Modi to PNB as "full of arrogance", and said it insinuates in it that he would not return the money he owes.
The Congress spokesperson also asked whether the government has any knowledge of the whereabouts of Nirav Modi, and alleged that such a letter can be written by a person who has "protection" from the powers-that be in the government.
Contending the claims made by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Tewari dared him for an open debate on the issue of NPAs during the NDA and UPA dispensations as also on the state of the economy after the BJP-led Government came to power.
(With PTI inputs)
