Jaitlie's daughter was on Mehul Choksi's payroll: Rahul Gandhi takes on Arun Jaitley

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Rahul Gandhi alleged that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley “allowed” Mehul Choksi to flee.

Jaitlie's daughter was on Mehul Choksi's payroll: Rahul Gandhi takes on Arun Jaitley Pic Courtesy: Twitter/INCIndia

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has stoked a fresh controversy by claiming that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s daughter was paid by absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, the Gandhi scion alleged the Finance Minister “allowed him to flee”.

The Congress chief also mentioned a bank account number in which Jaitley’s daughter allegedly received the money from Mehul Choksi. He also accused the media of blacking out the story.

“Arun Jaitlie’s daughter was on the payroll of thief Mehul Choksi. Meanwhile her FM daddy sat on his file & allowed him to flee. She received money from ICICI a/c no: 12170500316. It’s sad that media has blacked out this story. The people of India won’t,” tweeted the Congress president.

The scathing attack by Rahul Gandhi came hours after Congress leader Sachin Pilot hit out at the Finance Minister over the issue, claiming that a law firm owned by Jaitley's daughter and son-in-law was paid Rs 24 lakh by Choksi's Gitanjali Gems.

"Gitanjali Gems was engaged to retain Arun Jaitley Ji's daughter Sonali Jaitley and son-in-law Jayesh Bakshi's legal firm for a sum of Rs 24 lakh. Mehul Choksi fled the country on Jan 4, 2018. On February 20, Sonali and Jayesh returned those 24 lakh saying we didn't do any work for them," Sachin Pilot had said during a press conference.

The Congress demanded that Jaitley must be sacked as the Finance Minister of the country.

The fresh attack by the Congress and Rahul Gandhi came days after Jaitley mocked the party chief, asking in Facebook post, “Is it a case of Clown Prince out-clowning himself?”

In a lengthy post on Facebook, the Finance Minister gave a point-by-point rebuttal of allegations made by Rahul Gandhi concerning the Rafale fighter jets deal, GST, NPAs and fleeing of Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi.

Referring to the attack over Nirav Modi, who has fled the country, Jaitley had claimed that he had never even seen the absconding billionaire.

“I do not recollect ever having even seen Nirav Modi in my life. The question of his meeting me in Parliament does not arise. If he came to Parliament, as Rahul Gandhi claims, then reception records would show that. Where have I admitted all this Mr Gandhi?” the Finance Minister had said.