Akhilesh: In major scams people from particular place found involved

Hathras (UP): Whenever major scams are unearthed in India "people from a particular place are found involved", claimed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday while referring to the Rs 22,842 crore bank fraud by the Gujarat-based ABG Shipyard.

Addressing an election meeting at Sikandararau here, he claimed a poor person has to mortgage his land to avail a bank loan while big businessmen fly abroad after getting a huge loan.

On February 7, the CBI booked ABG Shipyard Limited (ABGSL), its former chairman and managing director Rishi Kamlesh Agarwal and others for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India of over Rs 22,842 crore.

The ABGSL being a major player in the Indian shipbuilding industry operates from shipyards located at Dahej and Surat in Gujarat.

"Those who have read the newspapers would be knowing that a major bank scam has taken place. Whenever these major scams take place, people from a particular place are involved. In the scams, which had taken place earlier, a number of people were from that place," the Samajwadi Party chief said.

"The money in the bank is of the poor. When a poor person wants to avail a loan, he has to mortgage his land. But these big businessmen take a big loan from the banks, arrange an air ticket and go to a foreign country," he said. Taking on the BJP, Yadav claimed the ruling party had promised that people wearing 'hawai chappal' (slippers) would travel on aircraft.

"But, with diesel and petrol becoming costlier, the poor are unable to ride a motorcycle. Farmers are facing hardships due to price rise. Hence, the Samajwadi Party has decided that, if needed, we will give free petrol," he said.