Demonetisation led to crackdown on shell firms, says Modi; Rahul Gandhi mocks

What did Narendra Modi say?

Modi, while raising his voice against the Opposition in poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Monday, indirectly attacked Congress' former and present Presidents, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, saying, "I am shocked that a few Congress leaders, who are out on bail question us what have we done for welfare of people!"

"They question steps like demonetisation, which led to crackdown on several shell firms," the Prime Minister added.

Rahul Gandhi's counter

In order to counter Modi, Rahul invoked names of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah's son Jay, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and businessman Anil Ambani. He even went on to call all the three along with the Prime Minister "thief".

In a tweet, the Congress president said: "The PM’s latest Demonetisation barf is, “Shell Firms”. Ironically, the only “Shell” firms identified after the great Demonetisation tragedy are: JAY SHAH’S, Temple Enterprises PIYUSH GOYAL’s Flashnet ANIL AMBANI’S, Reliance Airports It takes a thief to know a thief."

The note ban policy was announced by Modi in on November 8, 2016. As the demonetisation completed its second year last week, Rahul had attacked the ruling BJP.

Rahul said as he was quoted by The Indian Express, "All of you were standing in long queues during demonetisation but not one black money holder was seen.

"Also, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi ran away from the country with your money."

Why Rahul named Jay Shah, Piyush Goyal and Anil Ambani in his tweet?

An article on The Wire, titled 'The Golden Touch of Jay Amit Shah', which was published on October 8, claimed that junior Shah's company recorded a 16,000-times increase in turnover in just one year.

Jay Shah's company has allegedly recorded a turnover of Rs 80.5 crore in 2015-16.

Goyal was caught in the midst of a controversy as he has been alleged to selling a privately-owned company after becoming the coal minister in 2014.

According to The Wire, Goyal, who is now the Railway minister, sold his owned company to a private firm at Rs. 48 cr, four months after becoming the minister in 2014.

The company, which was sold to Piramal Group, was jointly owned by Goyal and his wife.

However, Goyal has reportedly did not mention the company in the declaration which was filed in the PM's office in 2014.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are having a face-off over the Rafale deal (buying of 36 fighter jets by India) ever since former French President Francois Hollande said India had urged France to nominate Indian industrialist Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence Industries as its partner in the Rafale deal.

Though Hollande's claims were denied by the French government, the former stood firm by his statement.

Images: Twitter handles of PIB and Congress