Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had earlier today hit back at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah for his recent remarks on Sonia Gandhi over the AgustaWestland chopper deal controversy.
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Denying Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s charge of character assassination in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, the BJP said it did not indulge in any vendetta against her.
“When the Agusta chopper deal was being finalised, Sonia Gandhi was the Congress president and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was in power”.
“When the National Herald (case) took place then you say that we are not afraid of anybody, when Westland takes place then you say that we not afraid of anybody”.
He said that the then Congress government at the Centre had cancelled the AgustaWestland chopper deal, ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and blacklisted the company. “Rather than saying she (Sonia) is not afraid of anyone, she should clarify who received the kickbacks”, Shah said. “Italian High Court equivalent clearly said that political corruption was €15.8 million, that’s Rs.125 crore, they have also taken some names”, said Parrikar, who is in Dehradun to inaugurate a war memorial. He said it is clear that those who were in power at the time, are responsible for the scandal. They should bring out the truth before the nation.
“Congress is trying to mislead people of this country by raising irrelevant questions over the issue”, he said. “If anything is there against me, they should find out and hang me”, he addd.
He asked Gandhi on whose instruction this permission was given to it (company), why they were declared technically qualified and on whose instructions the conditions of the tender were breached.
In a series of tweets, the Delhi CM said, “if it was ky name in the order of Itali court, Modi ji would have had me arrested by now”. During the election campaign, Narendra Modi himself targeted the Congress and the Gandhi family for corruption, especially Robert Vadra.
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Swamy raised the VVIP helicopter deal in the Rajya Sabha as soon as Navjot Singh Sidhu was sworn in even as the Congress members were shouting him down. “Is she bigger than even Gandhi?” it said. The country is asking where the money has gone and who the bribe takers are. “Congress president Sonia Gandhi should blame the Italian court”, said Union Minister Rajiv Pratap. Continuing his tirade against Gandhi, Shah said it is quite awesome that the flip-flops of the UPA came to the fore when it was in power, adding the same has grabbed eyeballs even now. “So, such matters keep on coming to the fore”, Shah said.
