Congress questions Modi on alleged 'hawala' kingpin

The Congress Monday targeted BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, questioning his links with an alleged "hawala kingpin" whose house and office in Surat were searched by the Enforcement Directorate last month.

Congress party spokesman Randeep Surjewala alleged that the "hawala kingpin" was a "well-known BJP supporter and protege of Shri Narendra Modi".

The ED March 22 raided the house and office of the said "kingpin", reportedly a diamond trader by profession, and claimed to have unearthed a hawala racket worth approximately Rs.700 crore.

"What is the nature of relationship of Shri Narendra Modi with alleged hawala kingpin?", asked Surjewala.

Surjewala demanded to know if pictures of the diamond trader on Modi's and BJP's website holding meetings in the Gujarat chief minister's office "reflect a proximate relationship that needs to be examined and investigated?"

The Congress' latest allegations come in the wake of Modi claiming earlier in one of his rallies that Hasan Ali, a Pune based businessman accused of laundering black money, had been "saved" by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Surjewala said that the hawala racket being run by the "kingpin" had "deep underworld links".

"Does the complete complacency of Narendra Modi and his government to one of the biggest hawala rackets being run in Surat under their nose and eyes point towards their complicity or indifference in upholding the law and checking nefarious elements involved in anti-national activities?", asked Surjewala.