Congress attack Piyush Goyal, demands removal

The Congress on Saturday again demanded the removal of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that financial deals of a firm owned by him were a ‘murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest,’ charges dismissed as ‘baseless and malicious’ by the BJP.

Four months after holding the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy, Goyal sold his entire holding in Flashnet Info Solutions Limited which is owned by him and his wife, at nearly 1000 per cent premium to a company of Piramal group, which has interests in the renewable energy sector, claimed Congress leader Pawan Khera.

Khera further alleged that Goyal did not disclose this in his assets list, which was made public on the PMO website soon after becoming a minister and added that this was a ‘clear case of conflict of interest.’

Khera during a press briefing said this was a "murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest involving one of the senior most Cabinet ministers of the Modi government.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives sermons of 'na khaunga, na khane doonga'. Will the Prime Minister answer as to why are former BJP's treasurer and his favourite Cabinet minister as also Karnataka in-charge Piyush Goyal and his wife intertwined in a murky web of financial dealings? Will he answer that to the people of India?" he asked.

"In the last month, the Congress party made Piyush Goyal a target by hurling malicious allegations against his bona fide business dealings to insinuate wrongdoings and irregularity. The modus operandi of the attack has been to gain cheap political mileage by indulging in a baseless campaign against him with no sound facts to back them but with the only intention of creating false controversies," said BJP in a statement.

It also pointed out the facts that exposed the Congress for blatant misrepresentation using malicious propaganda against the minister who was carrying out his work through his companies, which had his investments before becoming minister in May 2014.

"He stopped all professional/ business activities the day he became a minister, resigned from all directorships and started the process of selling all his investments," it said.

The BJP said that Goyal was being targeted to divert attention from the series of controversies and scandals of its leaders for which they have no reply.

"Congress has nothing to attack the Narendra Modi government and its leaders and is resorting to manufacturing controversies using malicious falsehoods which are completely baseless," it said.