'Young India' controversy: BJP targets Sonia, Rahul Gandhi

BJP on Thursday alleged that 'Young India' had borrowed a sum of Rs one crore from a firm which was allegedly involved in converting black money into white.

New Delhi: Targetting Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the BJP on Thursday alleged that 'Young India', a company in which Congress president and her son are said to have majority stake, had borrowed a sum of Rs one crore from a firm which was allegedly involved in converting black money into white.

Claiming that this was just the "tip of the iceberg", BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference "the first family" of Indian politics should provide answers to questions being raised by them.

The Congress, however, dismissed it saying that BJP was levelling baseless charges as it sensed imminent defeat in the Bihar assembly elections.

Patra claimed that around December 2010 a company, 'Young Indian', in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have 38 percent shares, each was formed.

"If somebody has 76 percent shares of a company then naturally, they have the ownership rights," Patra said adding that 24 percent shares were held by Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes and Motilal Vora.

He further claimed that in a meeting held at 10 Janpath, on September 23, 2014, a proposal was placed before the board of this firm for a one year extension in repaying the loan borrowed from a private company.

The BJP spokesperson said that when activities of Dotex Merchandise were looked into by authorities, details that emerged are "murky".

Patra claimed that the owner of the company has told income tax authorities in Kolkata about the activities of his firms including on converting black money into white.

Waving documents, which he claimed revealed details of such conversion, Patra said when the loan was taken by 'Young Indian' the Congress-led UPA was in power and had the machinery to find out antecedents of the firm.

"This one crore is just the tip of the iceberg. We ask the Congress, whose black money is this? Does this belong to Coalgate, CWG, 2G or jijaji? (a reference to Robert Vadra) The Congress should explain," Patra said attacking the Congress leadership. 

 Patra said Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi who keeps doing "political tourism" should answer questions and not lose temper while answering real questions at photo ops.

Reacting to the allegations, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the BJP was sensing an imminent defeat in Bihar due to "evaporation" of the Modi magic and that was why it was resorting to such allegations.

"BJP is also making such allegations as the names of some BJP leaders are being talked about in connection with some fictitious companies in the Bank of Baroda scam," he said.

The Associate Journal had taken a loan of Rs one crore from R P Goenka company at an interest rate of 14 per cent, which was later repaid, he said.

Suggesting that there was no case of any wrong doing, Surjewala said that the whole matter was audited by the Income Tax department and Registrar of Companies.

If some questions are being raised against the lender, what can Associate Journals do, he asked.