Congress questions CBI clearance for Praful Patel in 'Rs 30,000 crore Air India scam'

New Delhi: The Congress has questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) closing a case against Praful Patel in the BJP-alleged irregularities in leasing aircraft for Air India, alleging that the former civil aviation minister is being let off for joining the ruling alliance after splitting NCP.

The main opposition party has recycled BJP's 2014 election material, alleging a "Rs 30,000-crore Air India scam" and blaming Patel for it, and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clean on his past statements against the UPA regime over the alleged "Air India scam" as well as BJP's allegations against Patel over purchasing a Mumbai property allegedly from terror accused Iqbal Mirchi's family.

"Months after Praful Patel joined the BJP alliance in Maharashtra by splitting NCP, the CBI filed a closure report in a 2017 case of corruption, alleged by the BJP in its 2014 'Chargesheet'," Congress leader Pawan Khera said at an official briefing here on Saturday.


In the document, BJP had said, "This whole scam is approximately Rs 25,000-30,000 crore."

The CBI investigation had alleged that in 2006, Patel abused his position as the union aviation minister to lease several aircraft for five years to Air India to benefit private players, Khera said. "Not only this... In 2019, BJP made some vile allegations against Praful Patel claiming that 'he was involved in a property deal with 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts accused Iqbal Mirchi'. We ask, what happened to that ludicrous allegation, now?"

At the press briefing, AICC displayed a washing machine and a packet of washing powder and made a mock show of how leaders facing corruption charges were laundered of the charges once they sided with BJP and named 21 leaders as examples including Himanta Biswa Sarma, Narayan Rane, Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Ashok Chavan.