New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday raised the issue of liquor baron Vijay Mallya in the Rajya Sabha and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of having failed to detain him.
The issue was raised in the house by Leader of Oposition Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, who said Mallya should not have been allowed to leave as there were serious charges against him.
"He could have been identified even at the airport when he was leaving as he is a prominent figure and most people recognise him," he said.
Responding to the charges, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that Mallya was given loans when the Congress-led UPA was in power at the Centre.
On this, Azad said banks gave him loans and since he has cases against him now, he should not have been allowed to leave the country.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also said that the main point was not who gave him loans, it was that who allowed him to leave India.
"The issue is not that who issued loans to him, the real issue is that why he was allowed to leave India," he said.
Mallya on Wednesday was issued notice by the Supreme Court on a plea by a consortium of 17 banks led by the State Bank of India, which sought his personal appearance before the court along with his passport.
