Goa bribery case: Cong asks PM to reach out to 'sweet friend' Obama

Party takes opportunity to further target BJP, asks Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje to step down in wake of recent controversies

The Congress Party on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should exercise his 'sweet' relations with US President Barack Obama so that the names of those involved in the 'Goa bribery' case be revealed and handed over to the Laxmikant Parsekar-led government for an immediate investigation into the matter.

Congress leader Ajoy Kumar's remarks came after Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would be the 'appropriate' agency to probe the alleged bribery case involving a US firm to win a contract for a water development scheme in the state when the Congress government was in power.

"The way Prime Minister used every opportunity to tell the citizens of the country that his relationship with the American President is very sweet and good. In that case, Prime Minister Modi should call up his friend Barack and appeal for the revelation of the names of the criminals so that he can give the names to the Goa Government to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter," Kumar told the media here.

Kumar took the opportunity to further target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that its ministers and leaders, including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, should step down from their posts in wake of the recent controversies.

"In the past few days, whether it's the Vyapam scam or the Lalit Modi controversy or Vasundhara Raje case or Pankaja Munde case, from all quarters the corrupt cases of the BJP ministers are coming out," he added.

"Hence, the Congress demands the resignation of Shivraj Singh Chouhan when a fair investigation in the Vyapam scam is conducted. The way Raje is embroiled in corruption.even she should resign immediately. Thirdly, the way Sushma Swaraj has helped Lalit Modi, she should also resign from her position soon," he said.