Ranchi, Nov 12 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday alleged that the Congress was trying to shield former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, who is facing charges of laundering Rs.2,500 crore, and his associates.
State BJP president, Raghubar Das, in a joint press conference with former chief minister and Lok Sabha MP Arjun Munda, said: “The Congress is trying to shield Koda and his two associates Vinod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary. The arrest warrants against Sinha and Chaudhary were delayed deliberately to help them mitigate the evidence and escape from the country.”

The Income Tax (IT) authorities Wednesday issued arrest warrants against Sinha and Chaudhary.

Das said: “The way the Koda probe is being handled raises many questions. We are not satisfied with the pace of investigations and it seems there is a move to protect the people involved in the case.”

On the role of Arjun Munda as chief minister of a BJP government when Koda was mines and geology minister, he said: “The final authority is the central government to decide on iron ore mines allocation. The state government only makes recommendation of mines. The role of the central government should also be probed in mines allocation as the investigation is from 2004 onwards - when the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) was ruling the country.”

Arjun Munda, who was also chief minister from 2003 to September 2006, said he was ready to face a CBI inquiry on mines allocation. “I am with the state BJP president,” said Munda.

Das has demanded a CBI probe from 2001 onwards.

“As per media reports, in Koda’s diary the names of many Congress and RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) leaders figure, and their roles should also be probed,” said Das.