New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI) Close on the heels of controversy sparked off by Vijay Mallya's statement that he met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before leaving for overseas, the BJP and Congress clashed on Thursday with Rahul Gandhi demanding that Mr Jaitley ought to quit the ministry.
"It is an open and shut case....," Congress president Rahul Gandhi told a quickly convened press conference here.
Mr Gandhi fielded senior Congress leader P L Punia, who was "eyewitness" to the meeting between Mr Jaitley and the fugitive business tycoon Vijay Mallya on March 1, 2016 during the Budget session.
"It was a sit down meeting for about 20 minutes in the Central Hall of Parliament," Mr Gandhi said.
Mr Puniya said: "There is CCTV footage availble...there is proof of meeting between Jaitley and Mallya. First they spoke standing and then sat on a bench of the Central Hall of Parliament. It seemed very intimate meeting".
"I challenge Jaitley on this meeting...If I am right, Jaitley has to quit politics and if I am wrong, I will do so....For last two-half-years, Jaitley never mentioned about this meeting," Mr Punia said.
Earlier, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra 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 there are admittance by Mr Vijay Mallya himself that he had meeting with the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and was also accordingly granted additional financial assistance.
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