PTI
NEW DELHI, APRIL 27
Hitting back at Sonia Gandhi, the BJP on Wednesday asked the Congress president to use her “old relations” in Italy to find out why an Italian court mentioned her name in AgustaWestland corruption case and said more revelations are on the way.
Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the government will fulfil the Congress chief’s demand for a thorough probe whose modalities will be decided once defence minister Manohar Parrikar has made a statement in Parliament on the issue.
“The truth is that the Italian court documents carry some facts and her name is there. Names of some senior ministers (of UPA government) are also there. She must have some contacts in Italy. She should find out from her old relations why the court gave such order after two years.
“Why the court wrote such things that has created such a big trouble for her in India. If it is vendetta, she should ask the Italian court about it,” Rudy, minister of state for parliamentary affairs, told a press conference, making a reference to Gandhi’s Italian origin and her today’s charge that allegations against her and other Congress leaders are part of a strategy of character assassination.
“She asked what the government did in the last two years. We will do a thorough probe. Whatever you want will happen ... More revelations will come,” he said sarcastically, adding there is a lot of evidence.
The government has nothing to hide, he said.
He also rejected the Congress’s charge that the NDA government had removed AgustaWestland from the blacklist and said any government transaction with the company remains banned. “There is no relaxation,” he said.
Rudy also hit out at leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad over his remark that the charges against his party leaders may have something to do with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with his Italian counterpart during an UN event last year.
“This is a brazen lie, fabricated and imaginary. Congress is using untruth as its shield to divert attention,” he said.
Several BJP members have given a notice for discussion on the issue in both the Houses of Parliament and Parrikar will reply to it, he said.
After Congress questioned what the government had done in the last two years in the VVIP chopper scam probe, the BJP said it had taken up the matter of middleman Christian Michel’s extradition with the government of the UK after the CBI got a red corner notice against him from the Interpol.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has been unmasked as her and trusted adviser Ahmed Patel’s names have been mentioned in the Italian court’s documents, he alleged.
Claiming commission in a defence deal amounted to betraying the nation, he said, the law will take its course and people will not forgive the guilty.
Hang me if im found guilty, says Congress’ Ahmed Patel on Agusta Scam
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel today rebutted BJP’s allegation of involvement in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, saying he was ready to hang if anything is found against him.
“These allegations are all baseless. On what basis is there reference to my name? It is not my handwriting. I have not written anything. This is malicious,” said Mr Patel.
“If the government is alleging, then they should investigate. If anything is there against me, they should find out and hang me,” he added.
Another Congress leader Oscar Fernandes said: “If the government has got any information, then let them come and make a statement in the House.”
The chopper deal scam has led to an uproar in parliament after reports that an Italian court has found that around Rs.120-125 crore was paid to Indian officials to get the $530 million contract for the VVIP chopper deal.
The court order, according to media reports, showed that the firm lobbied with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her close aides, including Mr Patel, and then PM Manmohan Singh.
