Cong spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asks Modi to end silence on Jay Shah
Bengaluru: The Congress party stepped up its attack on the BJP on Tuesday, with senior Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala questioning the prime minister's "silence" on the business dealings of a company owned by BJP President Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah and demanding a probe by a commission of inquiry comprising two senior most Supreme Court judges.
Lambasting Prime Minister, Narendra Modi for maintaining silence over dealings involving BJP president, Amit Shah son and daughter-in-law, the AICC spokesperson who was in the city, asserted that there is need for an independent and credible inquiry into these dealings.
"We demand that to conduct an independent and credible investigation, a Commission comprising two seniormost Supreme Court judges be appointed to submit a report within a time-bound period," he stated.
Training his guns on Mr Modi, Mr Surjewala also said it would be a moment of reckoning for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to live by his famous statement - Na Khauunga Naa Khane Doonga - (Neither will I eat nor will allow anyone to eat.) "Time has come for Mr Modi that he should stand by his words," he declared.
He also asked whether Mr Modi will stand on the side of friendship and party politics or with truth, accountability and morality? "The entire country is watching," he said.
Congress and other opposition parties have been pushing for a probe in the wake of a claim by news portal in its report that the firm owned by BJP chief's son Jay Shah saw a huge rise in turnover after the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014. Jay Shah has termed the story "false, derogatory and defamatory."
Surjewala: Modi must probe Vadra
After coming under severe attack, the AICC spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should investigate allegations against Robert Vadra, son-in-law of party chief Sonia Gandhi, to find out if there was any wrong doing.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Surjewala claimed that Mr Vadra had been facing a witch-hunt for the last 41 months.
“As far as any allegations against Robert Vadra are concerned, we will only say, Mr Narendra Modi has been in power for 41 months. They have a government in Haryana and Rajasthan, and by all means, conduct any investigation that you choose, and come to a conclusion through a free and fair process of law of any wrong doing,” Mr Surjewala contended.
He said except “witch-hunting of 41 months and multiple commissions of inquiries”, the BJP had not arrived at a single conclusion of violation of any law, rule or regulation, either in Haryana and Rajasthan.
“Allegations were levelled in these two states, based on which they came to power,” the Congress spokesperson said.
Vadra puts out philosophical message
Facing allegations of “links” with fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra Tuesday put out a philosophical message. "Good Morning, I am capable, I am strong. If I believe in myself, I can turn my dreams into a plan, and my plan into my reality," says a quote on his Facebook post along with his photograph and a few horses running by a sea. This post came a day after a TV channel claimed that Bhandari had booked business-class tickets for Vadra in 2012.
Defending his party's decision to bar two national TV channels from covering day-to-day events, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said he understood the sentiments of mediapersons but argued that journalism should mirror of truth, not turn into a mirror of the BJP. Mr Surjewala said: “When you carry out pre-meditated, biased and fixed agenda as agents of the ruling party, then some semblance of journalism dies. Journalism is not about being Congress or BJP, about being SP or JD (U), or any other political party. Journalism is about asking me difficult questions.”
