New Delhi, March 26 : Fugitive Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Tuesday asked Indian banks to ‘take his money’ and save the debt-laden Jet Airways. “I repeat once again that I have placed liquid assets before the Hon’ble Karnataka High Court to pay off the PSU Banks and all other creditors. Why do the Banks not take my money. It will help them to save Jet Airways if nothing else,” tweeted Vijay Mallya.
He also highlighted the “double standards” of the NDA government, in pitching public sector banks to save Jet Airways but not his company Kingfisher Airlines. “Happy to see that PSU Banks have bailed out Jet Airways saving jobs, connectivity and enterprise. Only wish the same was done for Kingfisher,” wrote Mallya on his micro-blogging site.
“I invested over 4000 crores into Kingfisher Airlines to save the Company and its employees. Not recognised and instead slammed in every possible way. The same PSU Banks let India’s finest airline with the best employees and connectivity fail ruthlessly. Double standards under NDA,” tweeted Mallya who is currently is facing a trial in the UK Court.
The cash-strapped Jet Airways has been facing competition from low-cost airlines, fluctuating crude prices and a weak rupee. The airline has over one billion dollars in debt and has to repay money to banks, lessors of planes and suppliers besides clearing pending salaries to its pilots. The chairman of the airline Naresh Goyal stepped down on Monday (March 25) after which lenders agreed to pump in Rs 1500 crore to bail out the financially troubled airline.
