Jay Shah row: PM Modi’s anti-corruption slogans are ‘eyewash’, says Congress

Amit Shah with his wife at their son Jay Shah’s wedding in Ahmedabad. (file photo)

Using the issue of BJP chief Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, the Congress on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anti-corruption slogans are an “eyewash” and questioned how he would safeguard the country if he “fails to notice a scandal”.

Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar, while demanding a probe into certain allegations against a company owned by Jay Shah, said the prime minister is faced with a “test”. He also demanded resignation of Amit Shah as BJP chief. “He (PM) should immediately announce a probe into the (alleged) increase of fortunes of Jay Shah’s businesses,” Kumar told reporters in Jammu.

Alleging that Modi’s anti-corruption slogans were an “eyewash”, the Congress spokesman said, “If he (PM) has failed to notice a scandal, what is expected of such a prime minister and how will he safeguard the country?” He said the prime minister has been maintaining “a studied silence on every scam”.

The Income Tax, the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI should be assigned the task of probing Jay Shah’s businesses, including those of Temple Enterprise, under the supervision of two Supreme Court judges, Kumar demanded. “The people of the country have zero faith in this government as it has failed to act against corrupt leaders. Even in Pakistan, the premier of the country was probed in the Panama paper leak and forced to resign. However, in our country, not a single FIR was registered. It is because of Modiji that now we have to take a lesson from Pakistan,” he said. Talking about the previous UPA rule, Kumar said, “Whenever the Congress faced any allegation of corruption, the accused resigned before any probe. The BJP and corruption are inter-linked.”

He also questioned the government for deploying union minister Piyush Goyal to address the press on allegations against Amit Shah’s son and claimed that people were “pained” after Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta decided to defend Jay Shah. “This has happened for the first time in the country and therefore, the BJP should come out with ‘Jay ka vikas desh ka vikas’ slogan. The BJP leadership and the RSS are looting people and making the country hollow,” the spokesperson alleged.

He also described demonetisation as the “biggest fraud” to turn the black money into white. “It was the biggest money laundering scam in the world and that too in the name of nationalism,” Kumar alleged.

On the defamation case filed by Jay Shah against the website which had published a report on his business, Kumar said, “it is good that he has moved to the court. Everything will get clear as courts work on proof.”