india

Updated: Mar 26, 2019 10:46 IST

Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya has tweeted again offering to return the money he owns several banks as he hit out at the NDA government for its “double standards” for not helping him out.

Vijay Mallya pointed out in a series of tweets that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government did nothing for him even though he invested crores of rupees into his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, a day after a consortium of lenders led by the State Bank of India took control of Jet Airways to save the airline from bankruptcy.

Also read: Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal steps down, banks take control

“I invested over 4000 crores into Kingfisher Airlines to save the Company and its employees. Not recognised and instead slammed in every possible way. The same PSU Banks let India’s finest airline with the best employees and connectivity fail ruthlessly. Double standards under NDA,” Vijay Mallya tweeted on Tuesday.

Mallya also questioned the BJP’s criticism of the United Progressive Alliance government under Manmohan Singh for its efforts to bail out his Kingfisher Airlines.

“BJP spokesman eloquently read out my letters to PM Manmohan Singh and alleged that PSU Banks under the UPA Government had wrongly supported Kingfisher Airlines. Media decimated me for writing to the current PM. I wonder what has changed now under the NDA Government,” Mallya said.

The controversial businessman, who is contesting India’s extradition bid in UK courts, once again urged banks to take his money against the loans extended to his companies.

“And I repeat once again that I have placed liquid assets before the Hon’ble Karnataka High Court to pay off the PSU Banks and all other creditors. Why do the Banks not take my money. It will help them to save Jet Airways if nothing else,” he said.

Also read: Take my money and credit for recovery, Mallya tells PM in series of tweets

The 63-year-old businessman is on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April 2017 after Indian authorities brought fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crore against him. Mallya flew out of India to the United Kingdom in March 2016 around the same time, the government says, agencies closed in on him for bank fraud.

On January 5, Vijay Mallya became the first Indian businessman to be declared a fugitive economic offender by a special court in Mumbai.

A fugitive economic offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued for committing an offence and who has left India to avoid criminal prosecution.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate have launched probes against him over allegations levelled by a consortium of 17 banks that provided loans to the now-defunct airline.