Cong-BJP Spat Over ‘Chotta Modi’ Remark, NiMo’s Davos Picture

Nirav Modi, fourth from the left in the second row, at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

(Photo Courtesy: PIB)

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday, 15 February, said that Nirav Modi was not part of the Indian delegation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Davos, and had reached there on his own.

Prasad hit out at the term “Chotta Modi” being used to hint Nirav Modi's links with PM Modi. He termed it derogatory. Addressing a press conference at the party office in New Delhi, he rejected the Congress' allegation that the prime minister had a private meeting with Nirav.

Earlier, the Congress accused the government of doing nothing to stop "independent India's biggest bank fraud" despite being informed of it, and released a picture of Nirav Modi with the business delegation accompanying the prime minister to Davos at the World Economic Forum meet last month.

The Congress also released a copy of a complaint by a Bangalore resident, Hari Prasad, seeking early action against Nirav and his business partner Mehul Choksi, that it said was acknowledged by the Prime Minister's Office on 26 July 2016.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surejewala raised questions on whether Nirav had been tipped off following which he left the country.

"Who is Nirav Modi? The new #ModiScam? Was he tipped off like Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya to escape by someone within the government," he tweeted.

"Has it become the norm for letting people run away with public money? Who is responsible," Surjewala added.

State-owned PNB on Wednesday, 14 February, said that it had detected a $1.77 billion (about Rs 11,400 crore) scam where Nirav allegedly acquired fraudulent letters of undertaking from a branch in Mumbai to secure overseas credit from other Indian lenders.

Senior BJP leader RS Prasad said the tax payer's money would not be allowed to go waste.

I wish to make it very clear on the behalf of the government that no one who has sought to derail ordinary banking system shall be spared, regardless of any individual’s stature and status.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP leader, to PTI

(With inputs from PTI)