Nirav Modi helped BJP in elections: Shiv Sena

Mumbai, February 17

Absconding diamond merchant Nirav Modi, who is wanted for allegedly defrauding Punjab National Bank of Rs 11,000 crore, is closely associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena mouthpieces Saamna and Dopahar ka Saamna said here on Saturday.

“Nirav Modi is a partner of the BJP who also helped the party during the elections,” the editorial in Saamna said. The newspaper pointed out that Nirav was spotted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Only recently was this man photographed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Davos… However, we are not saying that he managed to loot the bank with the blessings of the BJP or a share of the loot went into the party’s coffers… Nirav, however, worked to make the BJP prosperous and help it win elections with the hoard of cash he stole,” the editorial said.

The write-up, which mixed sarcasm with hard-hitting commentary against the Prime Minister and the BJP, said tainted politicians like Chhagan Bhujbal and Lalu Prasad Yadav were in jail but Nirav Modi escaped from India after looting crores of rupees and still showed up with the Prime Minister.

“If only Nirav Modi’s Aadhar Card had been linked with his bank accounts it would have been clear (how he showed up in Davos),” Saamna said sarcastically.

Saamna went on to say that Prime Minister election slogan of “Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga” stood exposed following the escape of Nirav Modi from India.

The Shiv Sena mouthpiece went on to say that the BJP’s promise of a corruption-free government has fallen flat with this single incident.

“When poor farmers who cannot repay loans of Rs 100-500 are forced to commit suicides after losing their lands, industrialists who commit dacoity of thousands of crores of rupees are allowed to escape from the country with the blessings of the government,” Saamna said.

The newspaper pointed out that when a person like former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan spoke of the loot, he was removed from his post. “Now install Nirav Modi as the RBI Governor to finish off the country,” Saamna concluded.