Congress accuses PM Modi of taking bribes from Birla, Sahara

Congress party has been demanding a probe against Modi whose credibility, they say, is at stake

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "honesty as pure as the Ganga" and his "integrity as unquestionable", the Congress Party on Thursday said the Prime Minister's credibility is at the stake, and therefore was a need for him to inform the nation how he had accepted Rs 24 crore and Rs 40 crore from Birla and Sahara respectively.

"We will tell the BJP please don't be distracted, don't be angry and don't be annoyed; the Prime Minister should just tell us whether he had accepted Rs 24 crores and Rs 40 crores from Birla and Sahara, respectively, or not, because his name figured in documents. Respected Modiji, the country is changing and that is why it is asking questions. The credibility of the Prime Minister is at the stake," Congress media in-charge Randeep Surjewala told ANI.

Attacking the Prime Minister, he said the Modi used to say "na khaunga na khane dunga (neither will eat nor will allow others to eat)"; but now "the income tax department has papers for the past 30 months and the I-T department has said the papers merit a probe under Section 31 of the Income Tax Act, then will Modiji conduct a probe; have Enforcement Directorate, CBI and I-T department ever called Modiji and asked him whether he had accepted the money or not?"

Surjewala said the country wants answers to these questions.

"If Modiji is honest and has not accepted the money, he should come before the country and say that he has not accepted the money from Birla and Sahara and he is ready for any probe. An unbiased probe will bring the truth to the fore," he added.

Stating that there is a "wave of change in the entire nation" and Modiji's policies were exposed as demonetisation has brought the country to a standstill, Surjewala said, "The type of questions are being raised on his (PM) credibility, it is clear from that that the responsibility of cleanliness of the Ganga of politics rests on Rahulji and all the opposition parties. People are asking questions and the nation is changing, and thus, Modiji should give to the point answer."

Addressing a rally at Mehsana in Gujarat, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of receiving money from Sahara and Birla groups as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2013. The BJP, however, rejected the allegations saying that the Supreme Court had observed that there is no basis for such allegations.

Terming the allegations "baseless", Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said they are aimed at diverting attention from the alleged involvement of Congressmen in VVIP chopper scam.

Prasad said the Congress' history is linked with corruption, while wondering why Gandhi did not raise voice against the previous UPA government's scams.

Describing Prime Minister's honesty is as pure as the river Ganga, he said Narendra Modi's integrity is unquestionable.