Congress says some new ministers are tainted

Says Y S Chowdary, chief of Sujana group, has Rs 317-cr NPAs

The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet expansion, accusing him of inducting "tainted and corrupt" people as ministers. The Congress alleged industrialist Y S Chowdary - chairman of Sujana Towers - of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), sworn in as a minister of state (MoS), had non-performing assets amounting to Rs 317 crore. The charge was, however, refuted by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the bank had "restructured the loan".

Pointing out 23 criminal cases are pending against MoS Ram Shankar Katheria, including a case of attempt to murder, the Congress demanded an apology from the PM for going back on his commitment to rid Parliament of criminals.

Jaitley brushed aside the charge, saying: "Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party government has booked false cases against all BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) workers." (KNOW THE NEW MINISTERS)

BJP also hit back at the Congress, saying in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the then PM never had the last word in Cabinet formation.

Demanding the resignation of Chowdary, the Congress cited documents of the Central Bank Employees Union to allege his Sujana Towers stood eighth in a list of top 20 defaulters.

Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken asked: "Did you make him a minister to save him from default?", adding, "The Modi government should come clean on it and the minister should resign."

In response, Jaitley said: "This company was one of Chowdary's many companies. The bank has restructured the loan. How is it a crime? Why cannot he be minister?"

Controversial BJP leader Giriraj Singh was also one of the ministers termed by the Congress as corrupt, with Maken citing the recovery of Rs 1.25 crore stolen from Singh's home. "People of the country want to know from the Prime Minister who is tainted if not a person from whose residence such huge cash is recovered and the matter is being inquired by the income-tax (department)."

While dealing with a public interest suit on tainted ministers in the Cabinet, the Supreme Court had in August expressed concern about "rampant criminalisation of politics" and hoped tainted MPs would not be appointed ministers.

Citing this ruling, Maken asked: "Congress wants to know from Modi why there is hiatus between words and deeds. You talk of cleaning Parliament of criminals but (you) go on inducting tainted ministers."

The Congress also questioned the shuffling of portfolios and alleged Harsh Vardhan and D V Sadananda Gowda had been shifted from the health and railway ministries, respectively, because of poor performance. "If the ministers of two crucial ministries were changed because of lack of performance or incompetence, it means the BJP government has been a failure all this period," said Maken.

The Congress also asked the rationale behind the finance minister being given the additional charge of information and broadcasting. "Is there a synergy between the two?," Maken asked.