Our Correspondent
Congress party has said that a political conspiracy is being hatched against it in the Agusta Westland case. The party alleged the ruling dispensation was trying to cover up their own mistake. Briefing media in New Delhi, party leader and former Defence Minister A K Antony asked the government what it was doing in the last two years in the case.
Mr Antony said when Agusta Westland was banned by the UPA, why is the Modi government now giving it a chance to escape. Another spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala insisted that none of Congress leaders have been named in the Court in Milan.
Meanwhile Government today said the ongoing CBI probe into AgustaWestland chopper deal will be expedited and the latest revelations will also be included in the investigation.
Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy rejected Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s allegations that it is an attempt of character assassination. He said it is not the BJP, but the Italian court that has mentioned her and other Congress leaders’ name in the deal.
He also took pot-shot at her saying Ms. Gandhi should question the court on the issue, not the BJP as she has relations in Italy. Mr. Rudy informed that BJP MPs have given notices for discussion in Parliament and Defence Minister will make a statement.
The Italian court has observed that there is a reasonable belief of corruption in the helicopters deal. The deal is related to purchase of 12 helicopters for VVIPs from Italian manufacturer, Finmeccanica during UPA rule.
Mr. Rudy also termed Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s claim as baseless that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a meeting with his Italian counterpart in September 2015 to free two Italian marines accused of killing Indian fishermen in exchange of information on the Gandhi family