File picture: Congress president Rahul Gandhi | Photo Credit: PTI

New Delhi: A day after the deportation and subsequent arrest of a Dubai-based businessman wanted in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers money laundering case and a corporate aviation lobbyist, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday took a jibe at the Congress.

The BJP is heaping praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his diplomatic efforts which led to the extradition of the two. However, the Congress is downplaying the extradition, saying the Modi government was just trying to better their image ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

Taking to Twitter, BJP MP Babul Supriyo asked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi if he would congratulate PM Narendra Modi for bringing back Rajeev Shamsher Bahadur Saxena and Deepak Talwar.

Hey @RahulGandhi how about you Congratulating #Chowkidar for catching hold of corrupt dealers from your Govt



We didn’t see you tweet on #DisruptionOfCorruption & Modi govt bringing back some of your pets who went hiding. Aren’t you happy seeing them ?



BTW How is the Josh Rahul? https://t.co/JxO2ZWSTPd — Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) January 31, 2019

Notably, Rahul Gandhi has been repeatedly hurling the "chowkidar chor hai" (the guard is a thief) jibe at PM Narendra Modi to claim irregularities in the Rafale deal.

An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team reportedly started questioning Rajiv Saxena (the co-accused in Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland case) and corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar, who were deported to India from the UAE last night, at around 4 am.

Deepak Talwar is wanted by both the ED and CBI in a case of allegedly misusing over Rs 90 crore taken through the foreign funding route. The ED arrested both the men under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The duo will be produced before a special court later in the day. Dubai authorities had picked up Saxena and Talwar on Wednesday "in assistance" to a request made by Indian agencies.