Was cash transported in Modi's chopper? Congress demands probe into 'suspicious black trunk'

The Opposition Congress on Sunday claimed that the helicopter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen transporting a "suspicious black trunk" during his visit to Karnataka's Chitradurga and demanded an inquiry by the Election Commission to reveal whether money was transported in PM's chopper. Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said that a thorough probe should be conducted in the matter.

"We saw that there were three more choppers escorting the Prime Minister's helicopter. After landing, a black trunk was taken out and whisked away in a private car that was not part of the special protection group carcade," Sharma said.

The Congress' Karnataka unit has already filed a complaint with the Election Commission in this regard. The Congress leader said, "What was there in the trunk. If there was no cash in it, let there an inquiry be held," he said.

The party also played a video clip claiming that the purported trunk, after being unloaded from the PM's helicopter, was shipped to a private Innova car, that Sharma alleged was not a part of the SPG carcade, and taken away.

Suspicious box was offloaded from the PM's helicopter in Chitradurga, Karnataka today.

It was rushed to a waiting Innova, which then sped away

The question is,

Why was the box not part of security protocol?

Why wasn't the Innova part of PM's convoy? Whose car was it?

(1/n) pic.twitter.com/lJWVPC5neb

— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) April 13, 2019

Raising the issue of Rafale, Sharma asked Modi to make public the minutes of a meeting held last year between him and former French president Francois Hollande on the fighter jet deal.

 "Why is he (PM) silent on his role in Rafale scam? Make the minutes of the meeting between Prime Minister and former French president Francois Hollande on the Rafale deal public by tomorrow. As there has been a controversy, it would help settle it once for all," he said. The Prime Minister in his "desperation to win has done enormous disservice to the nation by dragging in the Armed Forces for Partisan political propaganda", Sharma further alleged.

(With inputs from PTI)