Banking scam rocks Chhattisgarh Assembly

Raipur Feb 19 (IANS) The PNB scam rocked the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Monday as Congress legislators shouted slogans against billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi who is accused of cheating the state-run bank of over Rs 11 300 crore.

When some MLAs trooped near the Speaker s podium Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal suspended 30 of the opposition legislators for the day but they continued to protest.

They also protested against the government s invitation to miner Rio Tinto who they accused of having ties with Nirav Modi to invest in the state.

Congress Bhupesh Baghel said: "This company is already black-listed... This is a joint venture of Rio Tinto and Nirav Modi.

"In 2004 Rio Tinto was allowed to survey the state. Now the firm is being invited again in the name of investment in the state."

The Congress moved an adjournment motion that normal business be suspended to discuss the issue. Agrawal rejected it calling it an "imaginary issue".

The House was adjourned for five minutes.

But the protests continued soon after the House met again. The Speaker then suspended the 30 legislators till 7 p.m.

--IANS
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