Vijay Mallya a son of Karnataka soil, he is not running away, says former PM Deve Gowda

Mallya, currently believed to be in London, is facing legal proceedings for alleged loan defaults by his group to the tune of over Rs 9,000 crore.

Former prime minister and president of Janata Dal Secular (JDS) H D Deve Gowda on Saturday became the first political leader to come out in support of industrialist and Member of Parliament Vijay Mallya, stating that he would return to face the law.

“It is wrong to say that Mallya is absconding. He might be abroad on business,” Gowda said.

Mallya was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002 and 2010 with the backing of the former Prime Minister’s party.

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“Mallya was born in Karnataka. He is a son of the soil. He is not running away from the country. The law is equal for everyone and he will face it,” said Gowda, addressing a press conference at his residence in Bengaluru.

“He has properties at various places in India and abroad. Mallya will not run away. Discussing this issue in Parliament is not right,” he added.

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