The BJP alleged that former finance minister P Chidambaram granted seven private firms, including PNB scam-accused Gitanjali Gems, gold import benefits on the day of counting of 2014 Lok Sabha poll votes.
Senior party leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress and Chidambaram and alleged that the then Congress-led UPA government ‘destroyed’ the economy by not letting the real numbers get reflected in banks' books and added that the total advances given by banks in the last six years of its rule rose to Rs 52.15 lakh crore from Rs 18.06 lakh crore in 2008 and that only 36% of these advances were identified as stressed assets but they rose to 82%.
Prasad alleged that under the then ‘so-called economist’ PM Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram, the banking system was “sought to be derailed by interventions, patronage and pressure.” He added that Chidambaram gave seven private firms benefits under 80:20 gold import scheme on May 16, 2014, the day of the counting of the Lok Sabha poll votes.
He said, “Mr Chidambaram please reply, is it jumla or blatant favouritism, mala fide conduct and rampant corruption? The Congress party should answer who were these people lobbying for Gitanjali and what was the cut.”
Chidambaram has previously used the term ‘jumla’ to mock the BJP government's policies.
