Congress party demands independent probe into 'Sahara diaries'

Congress asked for an independent probe into the “Sahara diaries” as names of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and some other chief ministers also purportedly figure in them. “Whoever, whichever name is there should be investigated. There should be an independent probe into whosoever’s name is there. Why are you shying away from an impartial, independent probe?,” Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh told reporters.

He said there should first be an investigation and in the course of which some names may prove to be wrong. Ramesh said action can be taken only after a probe. He also demanded an independent probe against all those BJP leaders who allegedly knew of the demonetisation decision before the Prime minister announced it on November 8.

He asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would order an independent time-bound probe to ascertain whether there was any money laundering by certain BJP leaders and whether they were in the know of demonetisation before it was announced. “Maximum Governance, Minimum Government”, “Maximum Drama, Minimum Governance” and “Maximum Publicity, Minimum Governance”, this is the motto of Narendra Modi,” he said, dubbing demonetisation as a “complete failure” and an “unmitigated disaster”.

He claimed that Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, which had received Rs 500 crore deposits within two days of demonetisation and asked why there was no probe into it. The Congress leader also asked who was Mahesh Shah, who had declared over Rs 13,860 crore under the income disclosure scheme, and asked whether some leaders were involved and whether any money laundering was being done at their behest.

To a question on introduction of Benami Property Act and its implementation by the Government, Ramesh said the fight against corruption is a long drawn out fight. “It will require law; it will require tough executive action. Whatever steps the Government takes which we feel is going to be effective, will automatically get our support.“Any serious, well considered step and well thought out step to deal with corruption and black money will automatically be welcomed by us,” he said.

“However, if Benami Property Act also becomes a gimmick like demonetisation, then we are against it. Demonetisation has taught us, that economic policy is a serious business; these are serious issues which unfortunately the Prime Minister is unable to understand because his Governance philosophy is maximum headline minimum governance,” he said.

The Congress leader said, “We are not North Korea, we are not Venezuela. We are not disintegrating Soviet Union. We are not a bankrupt Mynamar. We are an economy that is growing at 7-1/2 per cent per year and no economist in his right mind would ever recommend demonetisation to an economy that is growing at that rate. Demonetisation has been an unmitigated disaster.”