Chidambaram aided Choksi, Nirav Modi with 80:20 scheme: BJP

New Delhi, March 5 Amid attacks from the Congress over the Rs. 12,600-crore PNB scam, the BJP on Monday accused former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram of aiding jewellers Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi -- main accused in the multi-crore bank fraud case -- through an 80:20 gold import scheme.

The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP) also targeted Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and sought answers from him on the issue.

Talking to reporters here, BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Chidambaram gave his "blessings and benefits under the 80:20 scheme" to seven private jewellers on May 16, 2014, the day the results of Lok Sabha polls were announced.

"These seven jewellers included Geetanjali and Star (sic) jewellers," Prasad said.

He said the 80:20 gold import scheme was started in August 2013 under the UPA government and was repealed by the Narendra Modi government three months after it came to power.

Prasad said earlier only Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation and public sector undertakings had the right to import gold, but that was changed.

"There was round-tripping under the scheme," he alleged.