NEW DELHI: After the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) suspended the diplomatic passport of liquor baron Vijay Mallya, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said the government is moving in the right direction, adding that Mallya would be punished for taking away the money of the poor and the downtrodden.
“The people taking away the money of the poor will not be dealt with any kind of softness. Whosoever has fled taking the money of the poor and the downtrodden sections of India, will have to come back to India. He (Mallya) will have to face the law,” BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ANI.
“Our government is committed in that direction only. Please wait and watch. The government is moving in the right direction, and whosoever is the culprit, will be punished,” he added.
Acting swiftly on the Enforcement Directorate's demand, the MEA yesterday suspended the passport of Mallya after he failed to appear before the investigating authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which is "tantamount to wilful non-compliance of the legal process".
Mallya’s passport was suspended under Section 10[A] of the Passport Act. The MEA also issued a show-cause notice to the U.B. Group chairman, seeking his explanation as to why his passport should not be revoked under Section 10 [3] of the Passport Act.
Mallya repeatedly failed to appear before the ED. The latter accused Mallya of deliberately avoiding a personal appearance despite a statutory requirement to do so before the investigating authority.
Mallya is understood to have taken shelter in the United Kingdom on a diplomatic passport.