Piyush Goyal caught 'red handed', 'misusing his power', will PM Modi act against him: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday once again targetted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing Piyush Goyal of 'gross impropriety'.

Demanding the removal of the Union Minister, the Congress party has alleged that financial deals of a company owned by him were a 'murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest", charges dismissed as "baseless and malicious" by the BJP.

"It’s no secret that CA Piyush Goyal, the BJP Treasurer, has pried open the doors of every major corporate house for PM Modi," said Rahul Gandhi in a tweet.

The Congress chief also asked, "How then will the PM act against this Minister, caught red handed, misusing his power for 48 Cr. of personal gain?"

It’s no secret that CA Piyush Goyal, the BJP Treasurer, has pried open the doors of every major corporate house for PM Modi.

How then will the PM act against this Minister, caught red handed, misusing his power for 48 Cr. of personal gain?#GoyalMustResign

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 28, 2018

Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that four months after holding the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy, Goyal sold his entire holding in Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, 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.

"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.

Reacting to the allegations, the BJP in a statement said, "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."

It also pointed out that the facts exposed the Congress for blatant misrepresentations using falsehoods and malicious propaganda against the minister who was carrying out his professional work through his companies, which were also holding his investments, prior to his becoming minister in May 2014.

The Congress leader alleged that though the net worth of 'Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited' (even 6 months after the sale, according to statutory filings pertaining to the financial year ending March 2015) is only Rs. 10.9 crore, the company filings of Piramal Estates Private Limited' reflect that a whopping Rs.48 crore was provided to Goyal Family owned shares in Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, which translates into a astronomical price of Rs.9,586 per share.

The BJP, however, said that the "sale of Flashnet shares took place in July 2014 before the declaration of assets and liabilities was submitted on July 25, 2014 and not on September 29, 2014 as falsely alleged by the Congress".

(With PTI inputs)