Union Minister Anurag Thakur slammed the Congress party hours after Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor informed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that he was 'forced' by a then Congress Minister to buy an MF Hussain painting from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Anurag Thakur said, "Congress should answer to this (Rana Kapoor’s statement), that a banker used to buy Congress leaders paintings in crores of rupees. "
"This is not the first time an allegation was put against Congress, this shows that their only job was to sell the country," the union minister added further.
"Congress should answer to this (Rana Kapoor’s statement), that a banker used to buy Congress leaders paintings in crores of rupees. This is not the first time an allegation was put against Congress, this shows that their only job was to sell the country," Anurag Thakur was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Bharatiya Janata Party's IT cell head Amit Malviya also slammed the Congress party for extorting money from people from a position of power.
Malviya said that it is clear from Rana Kapoor's statement that the Gandhi family was extorting money from people from a position of power and their senior leaders and ministers were part of this matter. "Money may have been taken for this but forcing people in this way is not fair in any sense," he said.
As per the chargesheet filed by the agency in a special court in Mumbai, Kapoor informed ED that he was forced by the then Petroleum Minister Murli Deora to buy the painting, and then Deora told the Yes Bank promoter that the sale proceeds were utilized for the treatment of party interim chief Sonia Gandhi in New York.
ED is investigating a money laundering case against Rana Kapoor and his family members.
A case has also been registered against Rana Kapoor for illegally giving a loan of Rs 1900 crore to Gautam Thapar's Avanta company.
The ED has alleged that a bribe of Rs 300 crore was paid to Kapoor for facilitating around Rs 1,900 crore loans from Yes Bank to Gautam Thapar's company.
