The Congress MP Shashi Tharoor used a cartoon by Sandeep Adhwaryu and attributed it to RK Laxman. The Congress MP had been trying to use the image in order to create a public opinion against the public sector banks and the Modi government in the wake of the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi.
Several reports have underlined the fact that the scam has its origins in the UPA period. The fact that Chidambaram had signed an order benefitting Choksi and other businessmen just before the end of UPA II term has also come to light. This order was scrapped by Modi government in December 2014. The then RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had distanced himself from NDA’s decision to scrap Chidambaram’s 80-20 rule.
In spite of this, the Congress party has been trying to pin the scam on BJP led NDA. The Congress MP seems to be repeating his party’s lies in a rather subtle manner. In fact, the cartoon demonstrates the reality under the UPA regime.
Udta Punjab National Bank not the only fraud problem. a/c to @ReutersIndia. @RBI data shows state-run banks have reported 8,670 “loan fraud” cases totalling 612.6 billion rupees ($9.58 billion) over the last five financial years up to March 31, 2017 https://t.co/0xeafERjXU
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 17, 2018
The cartoon about public sector banks which Shashi Tharoor shared had been replugged by the cartoonist Sandeep Adhwaryu recently.
Old one @timesofindia #PublicSectorNPAs #NiravModi pic.twitter.com/A3R8H7ezGo
— Sandeep Adhwaryu (@CartoonistSan) February 17, 2018
The Congress MP used the above cartoon with the comment ‘The immortal RK Laxman’s cartoon in 1990.. what prescience!’ It is amusing that he has invoked Laxman in spite of the presence of Adhwaryu’s signature under the cartoon.
