india

Updated: Jul 05, 2018 23:10 IST

The Congress on Thursday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial probe into the alleged multi-crore scam of converting black money through bitcoin transactions in Gujarat.

Giving details, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil claimed that a “bitcoin scam” of more than Rs 5,000 crore has surfaced in Gujarat with some pegging the figure at Rs 88,000 crore.

He alleged that the state’s top BJP leadership was involved in converting black money through hawala transactions. “There were reports of the state police blackmailing some businessmen in Surat for extortion and named a former BJP legislator as one of the kingpins,” Gohil told reporters.

“As the BJP is scrambling for answers to explain how Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, whose director is BJP chief Amit Shah, received old currency worth ~745.58 crore in just five days and how ~3118.51 crore was deposited in 11 district co-operative banks linked with BJP leaders in Gujarat itself, a new ‘mega bitcoin scam’ worth more than RS 5,000 crore has been unravelled in the state,” he said.

Gohil alleged that demonetisation was used by the BJP as a cover-up to convert “its black money” into white and now this Bitcoin cryptocurrency is being used to convert their black money.

“We demand an impartial Supreme Court-monitored judicial investigation in this maze of ‘mega bitcoin scam’ so that the truth comes out,” he claimed.

BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni said the allegation of the Congress were laughable and nothing can be more unfortunate than this as it is the state police which has cracked the case and acted against several persons.

“The dirty tricks department of the Congress is at work to spread confusion and lies. It is blaming the police, which has uncovered the case. I wonder if the Congress is trying to help somebody in this case as part of a conspiracy,” Baluni said.