BJP seeks reply on Choksi's lawyer's claims of links with Congress

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday sought a response from the Congress over alleged claims by fugitive Indian businessman Mehul Choksi's lawyer that he had links with the grand old party.

"He (Choksi's lawyer) is confirming in a TV interview that Choksi had some alliance with the Congress and there is enough circumstantial evidence to confirm that. The Congress owes a reply," law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.

He said the BJP had earlier pointed out that the then finance minister P Chidambaram had expanded the list of companies entitled to get unfettered rights to import diamonds and Choksi's company was one of the beneficiaries.

The decision was taken a day before the 2014 Lok Sabha poll results were announced and the Congress has not yet explained why it was done, Prasad said.

"What is important today is that Choksi's foreign attorney is publicly confirming in a television interview that Choksi had some sort of alliance with the Congress," the Union minister pointed out.

The lawyer allegedly said Choksi had a loose alliance with the Congress, making things worse for the fugitive diamantaire in India.

The Congress party, led by its president Rahul Gandhi, has used the escape of Choksi and others like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, all of whom are accused of bank frauds, from India to target the Modi government.

Choksi, wanted in a $2 billion scam in Punjab National Bank, took citizenship of Antigua in November 2017.

The Modi government's commitment to bringing Choksi to India to face trial is unimpeachable, Prasad asserted.