Mallya says he is ‘football’ between NDA and UPA; blasts CBI

Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya said today that he has become the ''football'' in the match between two fiercely competitive teams of the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the United Progressive Alliance, with no referees.

Portraying himself as a victim, Mallya accused the Central Bureau of Investigation of selectively releasing e-mails to the media. 

"CBI selectively releasing e-mails to media which are being taken out of context and distorted to make allegations against me and UPA regime," he tweeted.

"Media happily being used as the pitch. I am the football. Two fiercely competitive teams NDA versus UPA playing.Unfortunately no Referees (sic)," he added.

Mallya also said that he was shocked at the 'false' CBI allegations.

"Am shocked at CBI allegations. All false and misconceived to say the least. What do a bunch of elite Police know about business and Economics? CBI made such a great drama accusing the Marans and putting them to great harm. What finally happened. Did truth prevail or CBI prevail?" he said in a series of tweets.

The tweets from the liquor baron come in the backdrop of a court issuing a non-bailable warrant against him on Thursday in the IDBI Bank loan default case. The warrant was issued after the investigating agency's affidavit provided Mallya's precise address in the UK.

The CBI had in its chargesheet last week accused Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines of diverting Rs263 crore from a Rs900 crore IDBI loan for "personal use".

Besides Mallya, the agency has in its chargesheet named Kingfisher Airlines and nine others, including the then IDBI chairman Yogesh Aggarwal, arrested in connection with the 2015 loan default case.

The CBI has slapped sections of the Indian Penal Code related to criminal conspiracy, cheating and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act on Mallya.

Earlier, the CBI details indicated that special favours were done to provide credit to Kingfisher Airlines even though the company's rating was questionable.

While presenting the Union Budget for 2017-18 in Parliament on Wednesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that the centre would soon take measures to introduce changes in the existing laws or frame a new law to confiscate the property of absconders.

Without naming Mallya, Jaitley had said in recent times it has come to notice that some people flee from the country after defaulting on loans from banks.

Mallya owes around Rs9,000 crore to a consortium of banks over his failed airline.