Why Mallya, Lalit Modi still abroad? Rahul Gandhi asks Modi

Guwahati: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in his continued tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that BJP government has launched scheme to convert black money into white instead of bringing back black money from abroad.

Addressing a public meeting despite the boycott call of ethnic groups, Mr Gandhi said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about bringing back black money from overseas, then why liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL chief Lalit Modi are still abroad.”

Gandhi said, "Modi talked about bringing back black money from abroad and putting Rs 15 lakh in each Indian's bank account. Is there any one in this crowd who got Rs. 15 lakh?”

The Congress vice-president said, “Modi talks about bringing back black money and on the other hand Mallya flees the country. Two-three days before his departure, Mallya and (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley had talked in the Parliament House. I ask what discussion took place between them.”

He said the BJP government has launched "kala dhanko safed karlo" (convert your black money into white) scheme while Modi talks about fighting black money, the Congress leader said and demanded that BJP speak the truth.

He was referring to the new amnesty scheme announced in the Union Budget for black money holders to come clean.

“Modi will lecture in Assam but will say nothing about Mallya, Lalit Modi or the 'fair and lovely scheme'. They (BJP) think they can go on lying and people will go on listening to them,” he said.

“I have named it 'fair and lovely scheme' because any gangster, militant, criminal in India can convert their black money into white money by just going to the government and paying minimum tax on it.”

He warned if BJP wins they would provoke an Indian to fight against another Indian.