New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI) At the receiving end over alleged meeting between Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
and the fugitive business tycoon, the BJP on Thursday directed its ire against senior Congress leader P Chidambaram and called him 'friend, father and philosopher of Indian black money'.
Talking to reporters here, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said to have been written by Mr Mallya wherein he talks about 'preferential treatment' given to Kingfisher Airlines for grant of Rs 500 crore loan.
He claimed after a meeting between Mr Mallya and Mr Chidambaram, the senior Congress leader spoke to senior SBI officials in Bengaluru and rebuked them for not giving loans to Mr Mallya's company.
"Quickly the loan was granted....," he said.
In this context, he also wanted to know from Congress president Rahul Gandhi on what was his stake
at the 'good times (business)' of the Kingfiher Airlines.
"Coincidentally, bad times have come for both ...political bad times for the Gandhi family because people of this country have understood and bad times for Mr Mallya because we have a strong government in the Centre who will never spare any fugitive offender," Mr Patra said.
He also dismissed the motives being attributed to Mr Mallya's 'supposed meeting' with Mr Jaitley in Parliament premises.
"If just to see each other in Parliament premises is an offence....Congress leadership should answer why there were meetings between Mallya and Chidambaram and also between Mallya and the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh," he said.
He flayed Congress for its alleged double standard on Vijay Mallya issue.
Describing P Chidambaram as 'father, friend and philosopher' of black money, Mr Patra said Vijay Mallya himself has said in letters and thanked the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for his 'meeting' and was PM's Secretary TKA Nair had helped him and subsequently his company was granted additional financial assistance.
"Everything seems clear....To hold such meetings and then grant bail is no sacred work," he alleged.
UNI DEVN AE 1522