New Delhi: BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s ‘mota maal’ remark led to a fresh war of words on Tuesday with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav alleging that the Reddy brothers of Karnataka paid huge sums to her party, prompting her to charge that the Congress had benefitted from the mining barons.
“Everybody knows the Reddy brothers paid huge money, ‘mota (huge)’ money to BJP leaders. I demand that a Parliamentary Committee be formed to probe the issue,” Yadav told reporters outside the Parliament House.
His demand came amid vociferous protests by the BJP in Parliament over the CAG report on coal block allocation.
He was taking a swipe at Swaraj who said on Monday that “mota maal (a fat sum)” had gone to the Congress in the coal allocation scam, estimated to be worth Rs 1.86 Lakh Crore by the CAG.
Swaraj, who was once considered close to the Reddy brothers, hit back at Prasad on her Twitter handle.
Lalu Prasad Yadav. Reuters
“Shri Laloo Yadav wants to know as to who got Mota Maal from Reddy Bros? I would like to inform him and the country that the Mota Maal from Reddy Bros has also gone to the Congress Party,” Swaraj said.
She maintained that all mines were allotted to the Reddys by the Congress government on the recommendations of the Congress Chief Minister. She did not specify chief minister of which state. Most of the mines owned by Reddy’s are in Andhra Pradesh.
“I demand that all documents related to the recommendations and allotment to Reddy Bros be made public. The country will then know the truth as to who got them the monetary benefits and who made recommendations for them. All the facts should be placed before the nation,” Swaraj said.
PTI
