New Delhi: BJP on Thursday demanded immediate sacking
and arrest of Goa Minister Babush Monsserrate, who was
detained at the Mumbai international airport for carrying
Indian and foreign currency beyond permissible limits en route
Dubai.
"BJP demands immediate sacking of Babush Monsserrate in
the wake of seizure of large amount of foreign exchange and
Indian currency found on him, while traveling to Dubai. BJP
demands that the Minister should be booked and arrested
immediately under FEMA," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar
said.
The main opposition insisted that Monsserrate was let off
after a call from the Union Finance Ministry.
"BJP also wants to ask the Central government as to who
from Finance ministry pressurised custom officials to free the
minister, who was detained by the Mumbai Airport Customs for
18 hours," Javadekar said.
BJP maintained that customs department has record about
Monsserrate being involved in hawala transactions and alleged
that this was a "cover-up" operation by the Congress to save
its minister.
"We also want to know why his son Rohit, who is
chargesheeted in the rape of a German girl, and his two
colleagues, who were accompanying the minister were allowed to
proceed to Dubai without checking the large baggage,"
Javadekar said.
BJP alleged that there are 10 criminal cases pending
against Monsserrate, including that of burning down a police
station.
It said the minister had not got the mandatory go-ahead
from Ministry of External Affairs and FCRA clearance before
travelling abroad.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, April 07, 2011, 23:38