Quoting a recent interview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Sunday claimed that the PM’s statement confirming the recovery of Rs 14,000 crores worth of his assets has fully vindicated him in his assertion of being a “poster boy” for the BJP-led government.
“I humbly submit that my assertion that I am a poster boy is fully vindicated by the PM’s own statement about me (by name) that his Govt has recovered more than what I allegedly owe the banks,” the 62-year-old said on Twitter.
“Fact that I have been a UK resident since 1992 ignored. Suits the BJP to say I ran away,” he added.
I humbly submit that my assertion that I am a poster boy is fully vindicated by the PM’s own statement about me (by name)that his Govt has recovered more than what I allegedly owe the Banks. Fact that I have been a UK resident since 1992 ignored. Suits the BJP to say I ran away.
— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 31, 2019
Mallya’s latest social media intervention follows a recent interview in which Prime Minister Modi said that recovering an amount more than what Mallya defrauded was a big win for India.
“You must’ve seen in the case of Vijay Mallya. He owed banks Rs 9,000 crores but the government has confiscated his properties worth Rs 14,000 crore from across the world. Now, he is in trouble because we are taking double the amount,” Modi had said.
In reference to the comments, Mallya noted: “Saw PM Modi’s interview in which he takes my name and says that even though I owe Rs 9,000 crores to Banks, his Govt has attached my assets worth Rs 14,000 crores. So the highest authority has confirmed full recovery. Why do BJP spokesmen continue their rhetoric?”
Saw PM Modi’s interview in which he takes my name and says that even though I owe Rs 9000 crores to Banks, his Govt has attached my assets worth Rs 14,000 https://t.co/PabfqYtncb the highest authority has confirmed full recovery. Why do BJP spokesmen continue their rhetoric?
— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 31, 2019
Mallya had earlier on Tuesday slammed the NDA government and the public sector banks for their “double standards”.
Mallya, who is facing extradition to India from the UK, said while the PSU banks bailed out Jet Airways, they allowed his Kingfisher Airlines to “fail ruthlessly”.
Mallya filed his application in the UK High Court seeking permission to appeal against an extradition order signed by the British Home Secretary last month.
A UK judiciary spokesperson confirmed last week that all the papers have been received and are now awaiting allocation to a single High Court judge who will decide, on the basis of those papers, if permission is given to go to a full hearing.
Meanwhile, Mallya remains on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April 2017.
On January 5, Mallya became the first tycoon to be declared fugitive offender under the new Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, which paved the way for the government to confiscate his assets.
On February 5, the British government approved the extradition of fugitive liquor baron to India where he is wanted in the Rs 9,000-crore Kingfisher Airlines loan default case.
(With agency inputs)