The Congress on Friday alleged that a Gujarat-based firm that provided luxury buses to the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, not only had a partnership with Swedish automaker, Scania, but also defaulted on loans from a public sector bank.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera levelled the allegations at a press conference and asked Mr. Modi to come clean on his “close links” with Siddhi Vinayak Logistics Limited (SVLL), the company that provided customised video luxury buses and trucks with 3D projection technology for the BJP’s 2014 Lok Sabha campaign.
The reference to Scania was in the context of recent revelation in Sweden that bribes were paid by the Swedish luxury bus manufacturer to officials in India to secure contracts.
Though the BJP is yet to respond to the Congress’ allegations, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s office had called the charges involving Scania ‘baseless’.
In his press conference, Mr. Khera alleged that SVVL “flaunted” its closeness to BJP top brass to secure bank loans and eventually defaulted in loans to the Bank of Maharashtra to the tune of ₹846 crore.
He said Surat businessman and SVLL owner Roop Chand Baid had ties with a former bank official who was associated with the National Organisation of Bank Officers, linked to the Bharat Mazdoor Sangh , an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
He said Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had also complained against this alleged nexus in 2016 to then Union finance minister, late Arun Jaitley.
“We demand that the Prime Minister of India come clean on his links with the company that defrauded Bank of Maharashtra, a company that partnered with Scania and now we all know what Scania was upto in India,” Mr. Khera told reporters.
