After a court in Jaipur ordered a probe into Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s alleged role in a multi-crore scam involving Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society, the Congress on Friday again demanded his resignation.
It said the scam was to the tune of ₹884 crore and called it the ‘biggest ponzi scheme’ in Rajasthan which, it alleged, has the involvement of Vikram Singh, a close aide of the Minister.
Mr. Singh, who is a director of the Sanjivani Society, has been is in judicial custody since September 2019 on forgery charge and in connection with other cases as well.
The Congress had alleged that Mr. Shekhawat was behind efforts to topple the Ashok Gehlot government, released audio clips to back its claims and demanded his resignation.
“Vikram Singh ji is associated with Gajendra Shekhawat ji in several other companies...The Congress demands the immediate resignation of Mr. Shekhawat whose name has come up in the Sanjivani scam,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told reporters at a virtual press conference.
The party alleged that investors’ money was transferred to the Society employees and then to other companies that bought properties in India and abroad, including 2,500 hectares in Ethiopia, a part of which was used for banana cultivation.
The Congress also slammed Central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department and the CBI for not investigating the scam.
“Mr. Shekhawat is trying to make us a Banana Republic while growing bananas in Ethiopia….He has no address for these [Central] agencies,” Mr. Khera said.
