Congress president Rahul Gandhi lambasted the NDA government over the alleged multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, involving celebrity jewellery designer Nirav Modi. Rahul Gandhi stated that the scam of such intensity could not have taken place without the highest level protection by the authorities. He further questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the same issue. He asked PM Modi to explain "why it happened and what steps were being taken to ensure the banking system is safe in the country.