Outlining “corruption” as the core issue in the AgustaWestland case, the BJP-led NDA Government on Thursday said it would leave no stone unturned in pursuing all means to bring to justice the corrupt and the wrongdoers in the VVIP chopper scam that continues to create flutters across the political spectrum.
The Defence Ministry listed out the steps being taken in this regard and attributed the time being taken to bring the guilty to book to the fact
that some of the key perpetrators of this “misdeed” were outside the country.
BJP chief Amit Shah took the lead in upping the ante against his Congress counterpart Sonia Gandhi, saying she should come out of the mindset that she doesn’t fear anyone and tell the nation about the people who received kickbacks in the deal.
The Congress countered this saying it was for the investigating agencies to bring out the names. Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel said, “There is no question of bribe-taking by the political leadership of the Congress party and allegations against them are baseless”.
In its statement, the Defence Ministry said it was the NDA Government which had, on July 3, 2014, actually put on hold all procurement and acquisition cases in the pipeline, of six companies involved in the VVIP chopper scam. The companies figure in the FIR registered by the CBI.
It also said that the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) were vigorously pursuing all aspects of the investigation, including the arrest and extradition of three alleged middlemen of the deal, Carlo Gerosa, Guido Haschke Ralph and Christian Michel James.
Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh told the Rajya Sabha that India has approached the British Government for extradition of Christian Michel James and that the matter is under consideration of the British authorities.
During Zero Hour in the lok Sabha, the BJP raised the issue expressing concern over the reported misuse of the media by the Italian company and suggested that the middleman Christian Michel had been given Rs 50 crore to “manage” the media. “It amounts to misuse of the freedom of expression. It is irresponsible as the media is part of the democratic structure,” BJP MP Meenakshi lekhi remarked.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, supported by party colleagues, protested to the Speaker over allowing lekhi to raise the issue. Amid the protests, the Speaker adjourned the House for lunch.
The matter also reached the Supreme Court which said it would hear next week the PIl seeking registration of an FIR against Sonia and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Wading into the controversy, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence” on the deal and wondered why CBI raids have not been conducted against Congress leaders in connection with the case.
Defending Sonia’s comment that she was not afraid of anyone, Patel said they were wrongly interpreting what she said. “like late Indira Gandhi, she said they (Gandhi family) were facing baseless allegations and that she was not afraid of anybody making baseless allegations.”
Asked whether he took any bribes, he said “absolutely No, a big No. Never in my life have I taken money. I can’t even pronounce these names (of middlemen). I first read about them in the media.”