Ravi Shankar Prasad seeks Sonia, Rahul Gandhi explanation on choppergate
Chennai: Asserting that the “corrupt combination” — the Congress and the DMK, emerged during elections as do the scams in the UPA regime, Union communication and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the latest is the AgustaWestland Chopper deal scam.
He demanded the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul to “break the silence” on the AgustaWestland chopper deal scam, and explain to the nation about those involved in accepting the bribe.
Though the Centre wanted a fair investigation (by the CBI) into the chopper deal, he said Ms Sonia Gandhi owed an explanation to the nation on the decisions and manipulations in tenders during the UPA regime.
“New secrets are being exposed in the AgustaWestland chopper deal scam everyday. A.K. Antony (former Congress defence minister) said in Parliament that money was taken in the Agusta Westland chopper deal. If bribe was given, what about those who accepted the bribe,” Ravi Shankar said.
He alleged that the middleman left the country just a day after the CBI probe, on February 13, 2016. The CBI had registered an enquiry against Michel on February 12. The minister, during his brief visit to Chennai on Saturday to launch the state BJP unit’s election propaganda song CD.
He claimed the functioning of the government has changed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule as the latter infused transparency and ensured corruption-free administration.
“In Sanchar Bhavan (under his ministry) where the 2G scam occurred, there are no middlemen now. The decisions are taken fairly, transparently and honestly,” he said and also took pot shots at the ruling AIADMK saying everybody knows that it was “corrupt.” “I invite the media friends to come for a tea with me in Sanchar Bhavan. You will find transparency. There is no middlemen,” he added.
