New Delhi: In a scathing attack on former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has alleged that Chidambaram had aided diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s Gitanjali Group with his “blessings” in 2013-14 when UPA had introduced the 80:20 import rule for gold traders.
“There was a scheme by the name of 80:20 that was introduced in August 2013 and repealed in November 2014. On May 16, 2014, the date of the declaration of 2014 election results, the then Finance Minister gave his 'aashirvaad' to seven private companies under 80:20 Scheme. One of those companies was Gitanjali,” said Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a media address on Monday.
In August 2013, the then UPA government had introduced the 80:20 rule, which said traders would be allowed to import gold only after they had exported 20 percent of gold from their previous import.
The rule was scrapped in November 2014 after the NDA came to power.
“Chidambaram and Rahul Gandhi must answer why this scheme was passed on the day of results to benefit these seven private companies? Chidambaram swayam nahi kar rahe theyy seedha aashirwaad tha (Chidambaram didn’t do it by himself, but it was his direct blessings)," Prasad further probed.
According to a PTI report, finance ministry officials are likely to share all details related to the 80:20 gold import scheme with Parliament's Public Accounts Committee.
At a meeting of the committee last week, BJP members of the PAC had zeroed in on P Chidambaram, under whose tenure the government's 80:20 gold import scheme was launched.
Meanwhile, the former finance minister’s son, Karti Chidambaram, has been arrested in the INX Media case for allegedly taking kickbacks for helping the media company with its business.
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