“Was the PMO Sleeping”: Shatrughan Sinha on NaMo, NiMo’s Davos Pic

Nirav Modi was a part of the picture representing the Indian delegation led by the PM Modi in Davos.

Nirav Modi, fourth from the left in the second row, in a picture of the Indian delegation led by PM Modi in Davos.

(Photo: PIB)

BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, asking him whether the PMO was “sleeping” at the time when the prime accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, Nirav Modi, was present with him at the podium in Davos.

The remark made by the actor-turned-politician comes in response to the controversial Davos picture that emerged soon after the fraud came to light, where Nirav Modi was seen as part of the picture representing the Indian delegation, which was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Sinha, reports India Today, had earlier also called out the Prime Minister for not offering any explanation in terms of the PNB fraud, where absconding jeweller Nirav Modi and his associates have been accused of conducting fraudulent transactions of over Rs 11,000 crore for the past ten years.

India must be the only country where the responsible people at the top do not come out with proper explanations that the nation needs & deserves. Almost as if the citizens do not matter! Even Donald Trump faces hard interviews! But here interviews are only to sarkari darbaaris (government courtiers).

Shatrughan Sinha on Twitter

Speaking to ANI, Sinha spoke about how ‘specific persons’ in powerful positions had helped the uber rich of India get away with a fraud of such a large magnitude, but how the same people would not do anything to help the poor, the farmers in particular, get out of their debts and lead a better life.

He also said that the PNB fraud has impacted the country at large and the economy in particular.

It has also led to a questioning of the banking system of India, he said.

Referring to the statements put forth by several ministers of the ruling party, that declared that Nirav Modi had not been invited by the Prime Minister to be a part of the Indian delegation at Davos and that he had reached there on his own, Sinha said:

Was the PMO sleeping at this point then? Can it be that he (Nirav Modi) forced his way into the picture, without the Prime Minister’s consent?

Shatrughan Sinha told <i>ANI</i>

They had to be well aware of the fact that this picture would be broadcasted across the world. How then could they allow Nirav Modi to be a part of it, and that too stand in such close proximity to the Prime Minister, Sinha added, as reported by ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)

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