Congress and corruption has become synonymous: BJP

A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case of money laundering against Karnataka Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the BJP on Wednesday hit out at Congress, saying the Congress and corruption has become synonymous.

"Unaccounted cash, hawala transactions and corrupt deals, these are the pillars on which the Congress sits. We now know, why Congress party was crying during demonetisation," BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra told a press conference here.

Presenting confessional statements of the three accused in the case registered against Shivakumar pertaining to the recovery of Rs 4 crore from the flats owned by the Minister in Delhi to the Income Tax Department, the BJP leader said that it shows Congress's involvement and 'proof of hawala network' that helped transfer of money from Karnataka to All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Beside Shivakumar, Sachin Narayan, Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah, an employee of Karnataka Bhawan in New Delhi, and N. Rajendra have also been named in the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

"We are showing the confessional statement of the officials that how Congress was linked in Hawala transaction. Hanumanthaiah was not only liason officer of Karnataka, but he was as per protocol was apppointed as Secretary of Shivakumar," Patra said.

"The Congress has been completely exposed today," he said seeking to know from Congress President Rahul Gandhi why his party was crying during demonetisation.

He claimed that the money was being transferred to the AICC office not in lakhs or crores but in kgs.

"Seized materials were used in the hawala transactions. We have statements of Shivakumar's driver, who told the I-T Department, about how money in kilograms were sent to AICC," he said.

Patra claimed that the confessional document also noted Haumanthaiah, saying he was not aware of the amount being transferred and that only Rajendra would know as he would maintain the lists.

He said that the people booked by the ED were part of Kanataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and have confessed to having transferred the money on the direction of Shivakumar, who was the 'kingpin' of the money laundering.

He said Rahul Gandhi should come forward and answer these all.

"Rahul Gandhi shoud answer about this 'gorakhdhandha' in AICC," he said.

--IANS

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