Claiming that the government waived non-performing assets of industrialists totalling Rs 2 lakh crore, the party also demanded that the prime minister disclose their names. It also demanded that the prime minister provide a list of industrialists who accompanied him on foreign trips at the expense of the state exchequer. “Concealing of these names shows the levels to which crony capitalism benefiting chosen individuals close to the ruling party is being practised”, it alleged. The CPI demanded a two-pronged approach for dealing with the issue, including a JPC. “We feel on one hand the legal process should continue and the government should leave no stones unturned to bring such scamsters (Nirav Modi and others like Vijay Mallya) back to India…their properties attached, on the other a JPC should be constituted so that many other questions can be answered,” senior CPI leader D Raja said.
The TMC, however, did not favour a JPC to probe the Punjab National Bank scam, saying there were instances in the past when such panels were constituted but there was no outcome. “We do not want JPC. It cannot be the solution. We believe that the truth should come out fast. We have seen in the past..in 1987 in case of Bofors, the report given by the JPC was rejected by the Opposition. Whether (it is) the Harshad Mehta case or the Ketan Parekh case, action is still pending,” TMC leader Derek OBrien told reporters. OBrien, however, did not specify how his party wanted the matter to be investigated.