NDA to target UPA government in parliament on Koda scam

New Delhi, Nov 22 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) plans to target the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in parliament on the issue of the Madhu Koda scam Monday, said a senior BJP leader here Sunday.

"We will target the Congress and RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) in parliament on this issue. These two parties are the real culprits. The treasury was looted when they were together in the first UPA government. And they supported the Madhu Koda government (in Jharkhand)," said the leader, who did not want to be identified.

The BJP leader, who is also an MP, alleged that the central government was working to "dilute" the probe in the Rs.2,500 crore money laundering racket.

"We want a fair probe," he told IANS.

Meanwhile in Ranchi, senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said at a press conference: "There should be an independent probe in the Madhu Koda scam. Koda is only an actor in the scam but the producer and director of the scam are the Congress and the RJD. The Koda scam is a blot in the history of Indian democracy."

Senior BJP leaders Sushama Swaraj and Shahnawaz Hussein Sunday also held an informal discussion on this issue here Sunday.

Sources said the party has authorised Shahanawaz Hussein to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP's strategy is to corner the Congress on this issue and gather public support in favour of the party in Jharkhand as the first phase elections to the state assembly begin from Nov 25.

Koda faces charges of laundering Rs.2,500 crore. The Income Tax (IT) department and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have conducted raids at 69 places in eight Indian cities, including Koda's home, since Oct 31.

On Oct 9, the ED lodged a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Koda, and three former ministers as well as his associates Vinod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary.