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Former Indian Minister of Law and senior Congress leader, Kapil Sibal has accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and government officials of being involved in a money laundering scam of exchanging demonetized currency notes way past the deadlines of the Reserve Bank of India for a 40% commission.
While addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal highlighted the “sting operation” that provides evidence of how the ruling party and BJP leadership exchanged old notes with people closer to the government and BJP inner circles in exchange for hefty commissions.
Congress leader Kapil Sibal further added that the currency notes, worth thousands of crores, had been printed aboard and then transported to India.
The Hindustan Times reported that Sibal claimed that, “a team of government officials drawn from different departments was engaged in the exchange of old notes for new post demonetization”.
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'Free country' but paid media!
Congress leader @KapilSibal's press conference forcefully blanked out by media channels.
What are you so desperately trying to hide and under whose orders are all channels acting like tin soldiers?
Wach it here-https://t.co/c187KpPVU6
— Keshav Chand Yadav (@keshavyadaviyc) April 11, 2019
Congress leader Kapil Sibal further added that the currency notes, worth thousands of crores, had been printed aboard and then transported to India. During the press conference, he showed video clips from a “sting operation” and accused the top leadership of the BJP and senior government officials of being involved in fraudulent activities.
Quoting the conversation from the video clips of the sting operation, Congress leader Sibal claimed that a RAW official can be seen in the video, stating that currency notes worth thousands of millions had been printed aboard and then transported to India through a special aircraft.
Congress leader Kapil Sibal further added that the currency notes, worth thousands of crores, had been printed aboard and then transported to India.
The Hindu reports that this official of the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been identified as Rahul Ratharekar, divulged to an undercover journalist that “government officials from 26 departments were involved in the money exchange operation”.
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Demonetization: Biggest Scandal in Indian History
Congress leader Sibal stated that demonetization is the biggest scandal in Indian history and the recent currency notes, which were issued after the old currency notes for 100 and 500 rupees were demonetized in November 2016, have been printed abroad and then transported to India. He cried out in the press, “There can be nothing more anti-national than this”.
Hindustan Times cited Mr. Sibal’s outcry, “Mr. Modi started his tenure by fooling us and he is ending his five-year-tenure by traumatizing us. He traumatized the people of this country, he has traumatized the poor of this country, he has traumatized journalists and his political opponents. He has used the agencies to target people who are opposed to him.”
Another video clip was revealed during the press conference, showing an official of a private bank exchanging the old currency with new ones. Congress leader Kapil Sibal stated, “The video shows the exchange of demonetized notes with the new ones in a government godown (warehouse) in Maharashtra.” He added that the entire sting operation video is available on the website of Tricolour News Network (TNN) for all to watch.
The Hindu reports that this official of the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been identified as Rahul Ratharekar.
However, as pointed out by Indian media and analysts, Mr. Sibal did not “authenticate the videos” and stated that all the names highlighted in the sting operation video are now in public domain and the relevant agencies can carry out an independent investigation. He raised some important questions, “Will this Government arrest these people, will the ED [Enforcement Directorate] arrest these people? Will the CBI arrest all the people who are involved? They will not because ED protects those who loot the country.”
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Randeep Surjewala, the Chief Spokesperson of Congress, stated that Sibal has highlighted the “stench of corruption that has reached the highest echelons of the Modi Government”. He stated, “If this is not ‘anti-national,’ then what is? Will the Supreme Court show the courage to take note and hold the corrupt accountable?”
Former Indian minister Surjewala stated that there is no time left for the elections, and hence, the Congress cannot seek a judicial intervention or take up this matter to the courts. He stated that the government must perform its duties by ordering a probe into the allegations highlighted by the video clips.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surejwala accused the Indian government agencies of “acting against BJP’s political rivals” but protecting the officials and members of the ruling party despite the complaints and offences registered against them.
This article was written by Mina Jahangir and was edited by Sana Mushtaq.