New Delhi, April 18: Re-quoting an interview of Narendra Modi, fugitive liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya on Thursday made a fresh attack on the Prime Minister over recovery of debts. Vijay Mallya, who is facing extradition to India, said PM Modi had said that the government has already recovered more than what he allegedly owed to banks, while the banks made different claims in English courts.

"None other than the Prime Minister of India specifically says in an interview that his Government has recovered more money than I allegedly owe PSU Banks and the same Banks claim otherwise in English Courts. Who does one believe? One or the other is lying," Mallya tweeted. In a recent interview to Republic Bharat, Modi said that his government had confiscated his properties worth Rs 14,000 crore, which was more than the Rs 9,000 crore Mallya owed to a consortium of India banks. Jilted Vijay Mallya Attacks Banks Over Sale of UBHL Shares, Says 'Damned If You Do and Damned If You Don’t'.

Vijay Mallya's tweet:

"We brought in a law that enabled the Indian government to confiscate the property of fugitives in any part of the world. You must've seen in the case of Vijay Mallya. He owed banks Rs 9000 crore but the government has confiscated his properties worth Rs 14,000 crore from across the world. Now, he is in trouble because we are taking double the amount," said PM Modi in an exclusive interview to Republic Bharat's Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami.

Quoting PM Modi's interview, Mallya had last month said that the Prime Minister's statement "vindicates" his stand that he is a BJP's "poster boy". "Saw PM Modi's interview in which he takes my name and says that even though I owe Rs 9000 crores to Banks, his Govt has attached my assets worth Rs 14,000 crores. So the highest authority has confirmed full recovery. Why do BJP spokesmen continue their rhetoric," he tweeted.

"I humbly submit that my assertion that I am a poster boy is fully vindicated by the PM's own statement about me (by name) that his Govt has recovered more than what I allegedly owe the Banks," Mallya said in another tweet. "Fact that I have been a UK resident since 1992 ignored. Suits the BJP to say I ran away," he added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2019 11:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).