Congress challenges Modi govt to debate ‘UPA vs BJP’ state of economy

Congress asked PM Narendra Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley to come clean on facts and direct public and private sector banks to make public all the details about NPAs and bank frauds.

The Congress on Tuesday challenged the BJP to hold a debate on the state of economy under the UPA’s 10-year rule and the NDA’s four years even as it asked the Modi government to direct all the banks to disclose complete details about non-performing assets (NPAs) and instances of fraud.

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari attacked the Modi government for attempting to hide the enormity of the crisis afflicting the banking sector.(HT File Photo)

The party also took umbrage at billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi’s purported letter to the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in which he displays his “arrogance”. The Congress asked from where does a man who has defrauded the banks of thousands of crores of rupees get the “strength” to write such letters.

“This is only the tip of the iceberg. The banking sector is in serious trouble. The government is trying to obfuscate the facts. They are trying to hide the enormity of the crisis which is afflicting the banking sector,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters.

He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley to come clean on facts and direct public and private sector banks to make public all the details about NPAs and bank frauds. “Nothing short of a full disclosure, a full and complete disclosure, will now satisfy this country,” Tewari said.

The Opposition parties are set to raise the issue when the budget session resumes on March 5. The Congress, Left and the Trinamool Congress have not ruled out a united show where all parties would demand a joint parliamentary probe into the case.

Tewari also asked the government to disclose Nirav’s location. “Is he in the US? Is he in Belgium? Is he in France or is he in Hong Kong? Where is this ‘gentleman’ who is writing these letters?” He said it was surprising that railways minister was replying on behalf of the finance minister. “I dare Piyush Goyal to hold a debate at any forum, any day and at any place on the state of economy during the UPA rule and how the NDA destroyed it.”