BJP's Manoj Sinha blames Congress-led UPA dispensation for PNB scam

"The Modi government is working in a transparent manner, and all those who are involved in the fraud will soon be behind bars," he added

Union minister Manoj Sinha has blamed the Congress-led UPA dispensation for the Rs 126 billion scam at the Punjab National Bank (PNB).

"The country knows the corrupt elements," he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme here yesterday.

Without taking the name of diamond trader Nirav Modi, who is at the centre of the PNB scam, the Minister of State for Railways said, "A letter by former Union finance minister P Chidambaram recommending loan for the person who had fled the country has become public...

"The Narendra Modi government is working in a transparent manner, and all those who are involved in the fraud will soon be behind bars," he asserted.

Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi of Gitanjali Group have been accused of defrauding the Punjab National Bank of Rs 126 billion.

The CBI filed the first FIR in the scam on February 14 against Nirav, his wife Ami, brother Nishal, uncle Choksi and his firms Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamond. The agency had stated that the fraud involved an amount of around Rs 6,400 crore.

Nirav, his family and Choksi left the country in early January.

On a question pertaining to bankruptcy of banks, Sinha said, "Such a situation will never arise. The Centre has strengthened the banking institutions by providing them with economic assistance".

Referring to the BJP's recent win in three north-eastern states, the minister said, "In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had given a call of 'Congress-Mukt Bharat' (Congress-free India), and the politics of India is proceeding in that direction...

"The win in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura has enabled the BJP to increase its geographical footprint in the country from 64 per cent to 74 per cent. We are waiting for the 100 per cent mark," he said.

Sinha also announced that the Bakulha Railway Station in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh will be named after Prabhavati Devi, wife of revolutionary leader Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan.