Continuing its attack against Sonia Gandhi, the BJP claimed the then Defence Minister AK Antony had objected to relaxations extended to AgustaWestland regarding field trials but was “overridden”, and suggested that the Congress president was behind it.
“AK Antony had questioned the proposal to have the field trial abroad. This is what the CAG report also cites. This is what Anotny had stated, What is the guarantee that credibility of this trial will remain above board if they do not take place in this country. He had recorded on file that this cannot be allowed. The Defence Minister wants RFP (request for proposals) conditions to be imposed. Who in the UPA Government or who in the Congress other than Sonia Gandhi and her adviser has the authority to override Antony, his objections. Only one who could tell him to keep quiet, who could silence him was Sonia Gandhi,” BJP spokesperson GVl Narsimha Rao told media persons.
There is so much circumstantial evidence to show that the role of Congress bigwigs was there in the approval of contract and its operationalisation, Rao said.
Antony had questioned the rationale behind allowing the firm to conduct the field trial of choppers in its premises and not in India, an initial condition in the RFP, asking what is the guarantee it will remain above board.
He also said the benchmark price decided for a chopper by the UPA Government was much higher than the price offered by AgustaWestland, allowing no room for negotiation and added that CAG too had pointed it out. He said the real size of the scam is much bigger that what has been reported so far, which is just the tip of the iceberg.