PM Modi should give 'agni pariksha': NCP on Rahul's allegation

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday backed Congress' vice-president Rahul Gandhi's allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken bribe from Sahara in 2013 and said that the latter should now give 'agni Pariksha' to prove his innocence.

"If the allegation is made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is the duty of the government to set up an inquiry and get clean out of it. If they have done nothing wrong and are doing politics in the name of Ram then they should give 'agni pariksha' like Sita maiya," NCP leader Nawab Malik told ANI.

Echoing similar sentiments, another NCP leader Tariq Anwar said that Prime Minister Modi, who pretends to be honest, now stands exposed.

"The Prime Minister pretends to be honest and Harischandra, but the truth is now coming to light. PM Modi is wearing the blanket of honesty, but it won't last long and people would get see to his real face very soon," Anwar told ANI.

Speaking in Gujarat's Mehsana yesterday, Gandhi alleged that in the records with the Income Tax, there were notings of Sahara officials' claims that they paid Prime Minister Modi nine times between October 2013 and February 2014 and that the total amount was Rs. 40 crore.

He also alleged that according to documents with the IT department, the Birla Group too paid Rs. 12 crore to the Prime Minister.

Seeking an independent inquiry, Gandhi said that he was raising the issue "on behalf of the country".