New Delhi: The BJP yet again targeted Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday asking her to name the bribe takers in the Rs 3,600 core chopper deal but the Congress hit back saying BJP president Amit Shah’s demand was a “no confidence vote” on the Modi government which has “failed” in its job in last two years.
As the Congress said it was for the investigating agencies to bring out the names of bribe takers, the government came out with a statement that it will leave no stone unturned to bring to justice the corrupt and wrong doers.
As political temperatures continued to rise, Mr Shah made a statement to the media taking a dig at Mrs Gandhi over her statement on Wednesday that she was not afraid of being cornered in the controversial deal. “She is right and that is why such scams keeping come out in the open. That is why when the National Herald corruption case happens, you say you do not fear anybody. When AugustaWestland case occurs, you say you do not fear anybody. I want to tell her that we in Bharatiya Janata Party are afraid of the Constitution, rules and public norms,” he said.
“All I want to tell her is that those who gave the bribe are in jail in Italy. Then where are those who received the kickbacks? Who were in power at that time? They are responsible (for the scam) and they should bring out the truth. It should be disclosed before the people of the country,” he said.
Mrs Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel, one of those whose names is believed to have been mentioned in the Italian High Court judgement in the case, said “there is no question of bribe taking by the political leadership of the Congress Party and allegations against them are baseless”.
Asked whether he took any bribes, Patel said “absolutely no, a big no. Never in my life I have taken money. I can't even pronounce these names (of middlemen). I first read about them in the media.”
Seeking to downplay the names of Congress leaders being allegedly involved in the scam, the party reminded the BJP that two decades ago, the Hawala case against BJP veteran L.K. Advani was quashed by the SC despite his name appearing in the Jain diaries.
“Are we living in a banana republic? Bribe has flown, so senior most person is guilty?,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi wondered at the AICC briefing close on the heels of Shah’s attack on Gandhi.
Meanwhile, India has approached the British government for extradition of Christian Michel, the middleman named by Italian investigators as a key intermediary in swinging the controversial deal. Minister of State for External Affairs V. K. Singh told the Rajya Sabha that the matter is under consideration of the British authorities concerned. Also, the SC has agreed to hear a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the helicopter deal with Italy in which the alleged involvement of Congress chief has come to light.
Swamy warned not to provoke other members
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy caused massive protests from Opposition Congress for the second day in the row, after he made some controversial remarks in the Rajya Sabha which the Chair immediately expunged and warned him of action for “unnecessarily provoking” members on the other side.
On Wednesday he had caused similar scenes in the House after his attempts to drag Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in the Agusta-Westland helicopter row. Ordering media not to report the rem-arks, Deputy Chairman P. J. Kurien expunged Swamy’s reference to the Constitution of another country. Mr Kur-ien said he was expunging the reference to the Constitution of another country but that did not satisfy Congress members who continued to shout slogans against Swamy.
During their protest against Mr Swamy, Congress members shouted ‘CIA Agent’ to counter him while the BJP member shot back chanting ‘ISI, ISI’.
