The Congress sharpened its attack on Union Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal over alleged non-disclosure of his alleged business dealings to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

At a press conference held on Saturday, Congress leader Pawan Khera accused Goyal of “gross impropriety” following a report published by TheWire.in claiming that the minister did not mention his alleged ownership in a company, Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd, and its sale in the mandatory statement of assets and liabilities he made to the PMO in 2014 and 2015.

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Calling it a “murky saga of bribery, gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest”, Khera asked why Goyal conceal critical facts about his commercial interest and relationships in his declaration of assets and liabilities to the PMO.

“One of the major facts hidden was that Goyal and his wife, Seema Goyal, were directors in a company Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd,” he said. The two had remained directors till 26 May 2014 – the day Goyal was sworn in as a Union minister.

“But both continued to own 99 per cent of the company even after resigning,” said Khera citing the report.

He said Goyal sold the entire stock of the company at a premium of 1000 per cent to a group company of Piramal Estates Pvt. Ltd in September 2014, four months after becoming the Power Minister.

Based on the report, the Congress alleged that Goyal did all of this without informing the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) then or later.

“In July 2014, Piramal signs a deal with APG Assents Management for investments of $1 billion,” Khera pointed out.

Piramal group entered the renewable energy business in 2013. The deal with APG Asset Management was for various infrastructure projects, including in the power sector, according to details given by the website.

Khera called this a “clear case of conflict of interest and brazen crony capitalism”.

“Six months after the sale, Flashnet reveals its net value as Rs 10.9 crore in FY 2015. It is bought for Rs 48 crores by Piramal. Why?” asks Khera.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi in a tweet said: “It’s no secret that CA Piyush Goyal, the BJP Treasurer, has pried open the doors of every major corporate house for PM Modi. How then will the PM act against this Minister, caught red handed, misusing his power for Rs 48 crore of personal gain?”

It’s no secret that CA Piyush Goyal, the BJP Treasurer, has pried open the doors of every major corporate house for PM Modi.

How then will the PM act against this Minister, caught red handed, misusing his power for 48 Cr. of personal gain?#GoyalMustResign

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 28, 2018

In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the attack on Goyal by the Congress was based on “baseless, malicious and incorrect” accusations.

In a statement the BJP said that over the last one month, “the Congress party has made Piyush Goyal a target by hurling malicious allegations against Goyal’s bona fide business dealings to insinuate wrongdoings and irregularity.”

“The falsehoods spread by Congress reflect their desperation since they have nothing to attack the Modi government,” the party said adding that the Congress was looking for “cheap publicity”.

The BJP said the sale of Flashnet took place in July 2014 before the declaration of assets and liabilities, which was submitted on 25 July 2014 and not on 29 September 2014.

Responding to the BJP’s claim, the Congress posted the Directors’ Report 2015 in a Twitter post and issued a statement in which it said that according to the report the date of sale was 29 September 2014 when 27,010 shares of Flashnet Info Solutions India Ltd by Piyush Goyal were transferred to Piramal Estates Pvt Ltd. “The same document also mentions the same date of sale of 23,010 shares of the company by Seema Goyal,” reads the Congress statement.

INC COMMUNIQUE

Follow up Press Release by @Pawankhera countering the BJP’s lie on the actual date of sale of Flashnet Info Solutions by Shri Piyush Goyal. #GoyalMustResign pic.twitter.com/xAP8sN3KJM

— INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) April 28, 2018

In a statement, Piramal Group also denied the charges saying, “Piramal Group strongly refutes the false allegations made by The Wire in their factually inaccurate and libelous story dated April 28, 2018.”

“The malicious news article published on The Wire is libelous and is an attack on the reputation of the Piramal Group. The Group is contemplating taking immediate and appropriate measures, including defamatory action, against the online media entity and the concerned individual(s),” it added.

Commenting on the purchase of Flashnet, Piramal Group said, “Piramal Estates Pvt. Ltd. (PEPL) purchased Flashnet Info Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a firm owned by Piyush Goyal and Seema Goyal, in July 2014. The purchase consideration paid was the fair value of the underlying investments (movable and immovable assets) and the same was paid in July 2014 itself. This was based on an independent chartered accountant valuation.”

The Congress party has meanwhile sought Goyal’s removal and a “comprehensive, independent investigation” into the matter and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s credibility is on “test once again”.

(With agency inputs.)