Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is apparently copying Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s political style. A month after Kejriwal made sensational bribe allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi Assembly, Rahul made the same allegation today in Mehsana, Gujarat. Rahul claimed that PM Modi received Rs 40 crore as bribe from the Sahara group over a period of six months.
Rahul’s allegation against Modi looks more like a political gimmick as he has not tried to approach any court on the issue for action against the PM.
Rahul said the Income Tax department raided Sahara on November 22, 2014 and found documents showing the company had bribed the PM nine times in a span of six months. “As per record with IT, Rs 2.5 cr was given to PM Modi on 30 October 2013, Rs 5 cr on November 12, 2013, Rs 2.5 cr on November 27, 2013, Rs 5 cr on November 29, 2013, Rs 5 cr given to PM Modi on December 6, 2013, Rs 5 cr on December 2013, Rs 5 cr on January 13, 2014, Rs 5 cr on January 28, 2014, Rs 5 cr on February 22, 2014,” Rahul said.
Speaking in the Delhi Assembly last month, the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had made a similar allegation against the PM. Kejriwal said that I-T officials raided Sahara premises on November 22, 2014 and recovered over Rs 130 crore in cash.
The officials also found some papers that showed several politicians including PM Modi were paid bribes to the tune of Rs 400-Rs 500 crore, Kejriwal added.
However, the Delhi CM didn’t show any document to prove his claim. Kejriwal said he was yet to get all documents. In the same speech, Kejriwal alleged that Birla company had paid Rs 25 crore as bribe to Modi when he was Gujarat CM. To substantiate his claim, Kejriwal said the I-T department had raided Aditya Birla Group in October 2013. The Delhi CM said that one of the documents belonging to a Birla official had an entry stating “Gujarat CM Rs 25 crore- 15 cr (12 Done- rest?). He also showed the documents in the Assembly.
Interestingly, the Supreme Court refused to order an enquiry into the bribe allegations when lawyer Prashant Bhushan approached the apex court with the same documents as his proof against Modi. The court asked Bhushan to bring something substantial.
This is not the first time Rahul has copied or followed in the footsteps of Kejriwal. Before demonetisation, Rahul took to the streets after Kejriwal raked up the OROP suicide issue. Kejriwal was also one of the first politicians who had asked the government to release proof of surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in September. Rahul, who initially praised the PM, soon followed and made a sensational remark. He said the PM is doing “khoon ki dalali” over the bodies of soldiers.
Kejriwal’s rapidly rising political status is an existential threat to the Congress. Rahul appears to have realised this a bit late. But, can he gain from copying Kejriwal’s politics?