The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of protecting Nirav Modi in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case and sought a reply from Ministry of External Affairs on the absconding diamantaire's travel spree using a revoked passport.

"Even as the Modi Government has been caught snoozing, Chhota Modi-2 i.e 'Nirav Modi, the absconding accused in India's 'Biggest bank loot scam' is on a travel spree using a 'revoked passport' by the Ministry of External Affairs," said former Union Minister Rajeev Shukla. Nirav Modi, his wife, brother and uncle fled the country before the PNB complained against their companies, saying it had been cheated through fraudulent issue of Letters of Undertakings (LoUs) and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs).