BJP says Congress responsible for PNB fraud case

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that the Congress Party is responsible for the fraud that has taken place in the Mumbai branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB).

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy told ANI, "The Congress should not criticize us as they are the ones who allowed it to happen. We are the ones who allowed him not to be prosecuted. I am not saying we are not culpable in this, but the fact is that the Congress Party instead of cooperating with us, they are targeting only Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

He added that this issue has never come up to the Prime Minister as nobody took this matter to his attention.

"But because Prime Minister Modi is popular among the public, therefore, the Congress wants to connect it to him somehow. There are several people with their surname as 'Modi'. I believe the Congress should not to do this cheap tactic and instead suggest something in this matter," Swamy said.

He further said the Congress has not been able to prove a single case of corruption against the BJP.

"I had put in front their corruption cases like the National Herald case, Aircel Maxis scam and 2G scam. This Nirav Modi case is a lot of 70 years, particularly because of Congress and to undo it, it requires a focused mind," Swamy asserted.

Earlier on Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at 17 premises of businessman Nirav Modi and Geetanjali Gems across India in connection with the same case.

The agency also seized stocks of gold, diamond and other precious stones worth Rs 5100 crore.

The raids come after the PNB detected a 1.77 billion dollar scam, in which jeweller Nirav Modi acquired fraudulent letters of undertaking from one of its branches for overseas credit from other Indian lenders.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had received the complaint from PNB on January 28 and a case was registered on January 31.