BJP seeks reply on Mehul Choksi's lawyer's claims of links with Cong

New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday sought a response from the Congress over alleged claims by fugitive Indian businessman Mehul Choksi's lawyer that he had links with the grand old party.

"He (Choksi's lawyer) is confirming in a TV interview that Choksi had some alliance with the Congress and there is enough circumstantial evidence to confirm that. The Congress owes a reply," Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.

He said the BJP had earlier pointed out that the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram had expanded the list of companies entitled to get unfettered rights to import

diamonds and Choksi's company was one of the beneficiaries.

The decision was taken a day before the 2014 Lok Sabha poll results were announced and the Congress has not yet explained why it was done, Prasad said.

"What is important today is that Choksi's foreign attorney is publicly confirming in a television interview that Choksi had some sort of alliance with the Congress," the Union minister pointed out.

The lawyer allegedly said Choksi had a loose alliance with the Congress, making things worse for the fugitive diamantaire in India.