‘NDA govt did not order choppers’
14 Feb 2013 6:59 AM IST
The principal opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party , on Tuesday attacked the government for not conducting a probe since last one year in the alleged kickbacks in the VVIP chopper purchase and also raked up the Italian origin of the company.
‘There was one gentleman Ottavio Quattrochhi from Italy who was involved in the Bofors scam, several attempts were made to protect him this helicopter company is also from Italy. Was this a factor in no probe being done in the matter for the past one year?' questioned BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad. The party also said that they would raise the issue in Parliament.
The BJP leader also questioned if the Indian government approached the Italian government at the hightest level seeking information and if the Italian ambassador was summoned and impressed about the urgency of the matter. The party also asked if the ministry of defence had sent its officials to Italy to get the information.
'This is the most corrupt union government since independence. BJP is determined to raise this issue inside and outside Parliament and seek accountability from the Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and the Defence Minister,' said Prasad. Asked about former Air Chief S P Tyagi's claim that during the NDA government in 2003 the requirements for the chopper were changed, Prasad said, 'The NDA government did not order supply of the choppers no commission was paid and no choppers were bought and since Tyagi's name figures as one who swung the deal for bribes, his statement should be taken with a pinch of salt,' said Prasad.
Accusing the government of not initiating any inquiry in the Augusta Westland helicopter deal in spite of serious allegations in public domain for the last one year that commissions to the tune of Rs 350 Cr have been paid, Prasad said a very legitimate question arises because of the highly suspicious circumstances surrounding inaction and whether the company's Italian connection had to do something about it. The party also demanded that the helicopter deal should be reviewed and the supply of the remaining nine choppers should be stopped till all doubts are cleared.
CONGRESS DEFENDS AUGUSTA WESTLAND DEAL
With controversy surrounding the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters, Congress on Wednesday said nobody can be hanged without proper investigation and welcomed Defence Minister A K Antony's move to hand over the probe to CBI.
'Our Defence Minister has handed it (probe) over to CBI. Had it been NDA government, what they would have done? Can anyone be hanged without investigation?,' said Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday. He said the case of purchase of AugustaWestland helicopters should be seen in different light.
'Purchase of Westland helicopters was proposed by the NDA regime. Secondly it is the best helicopter available in this sector. Thirdly, it was bought at a price extremely competitive in its sector,' he said.
On the allegation of kickbacks paid in the copter deal, Singh said, 'Italian government has found certain instances where commission of bribe has been paid for which they have taken action. The moment Government of India came to know, it has set up a CBI investigation. Where is the question of taking any more action.'
While external affairs minsiter Salman Khurshid rejected Opposition's charges of not being proactive and dismissed suggestions that the alleged scam was 'Bofors-Part II'. 'Well, if someone is probing it you let them probe it. Should you have your own probe when someone else is probing which is probably better place to probe because that is where the production takes place and that is where the offices are,' he said.
Ruling out wrong-doing in the chopper deal, Congress spokesperson PC Chacko said, 'The defence minister has already ordered a time-bound inquiry...If any wrong-doing is found, strong action will be taken...the firm may be blacklisted and the deal cancelled,' said Chacko.
‘There was one gentleman Ottavio Quattrochhi from Italy who was involved in the Bofors scam, several attempts were made to protect him this helicopter company is also from Italy. Was this a factor in no probe being done in the matter for the past one year?' questioned BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad. The party also said that they would raise the issue in Parliament.
The BJP leader also questioned if the Indian government approached the Italian government at the hightest level seeking information and if the Italian ambassador was summoned and impressed about the urgency of the matter. The party also asked if the ministry of defence had sent its officials to Italy to get the information.
'This is the most corrupt union government since independence. BJP is determined to raise this issue inside and outside Parliament and seek accountability from the Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and the Defence Minister,' said Prasad. Asked about former Air Chief S P Tyagi's claim that during the NDA government in 2003 the requirements for the chopper were changed, Prasad said, 'The NDA government did not order supply of the choppers no commission was paid and no choppers were bought and since Tyagi's name figures as one who swung the deal for bribes, his statement should be taken with a pinch of salt,' said Prasad.
Accusing the government of not initiating any inquiry in the Augusta Westland helicopter deal in spite of serious allegations in public domain for the last one year that commissions to the tune of Rs 350 Cr have been paid, Prasad said a very legitimate question arises because of the highly suspicious circumstances surrounding inaction and whether the company's Italian connection had to do something about it. The party also demanded that the helicopter deal should be reviewed and the supply of the remaining nine choppers should be stopped till all doubts are cleared.
CONGRESS DEFENDS AUGUSTA WESTLAND DEAL
With controversy surrounding the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters, Congress on Wednesday said nobody can be hanged without proper investigation and welcomed Defence Minister A K Antony's move to hand over the probe to CBI.
'Our Defence Minister has handed it (probe) over to CBI. Had it been NDA government, what they would have done? Can anyone be hanged without investigation?,' said Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday. He said the case of purchase of AugustaWestland helicopters should be seen in different light.
'Purchase of Westland helicopters was proposed by the NDA regime. Secondly it is the best helicopter available in this sector. Thirdly, it was bought at a price extremely competitive in its sector,' he said.
On the allegation of kickbacks paid in the copter deal, Singh said, 'Italian government has found certain instances where commission of bribe has been paid for which they have taken action. The moment Government of India came to know, it has set up a CBI investigation. Where is the question of taking any more action.'
While external affairs minsiter Salman Khurshid rejected Opposition's charges of not being proactive and dismissed suggestions that the alleged scam was 'Bofors-Part II'. 'Well, if someone is probing it you let them probe it. Should you have your own probe when someone else is probing which is probably better place to probe because that is where the production takes place and that is where the offices are,' he said.
Ruling out wrong-doing in the chopper deal, Congress spokesperson PC Chacko said, 'The defence minister has already ordered a time-bound inquiry...If any wrong-doing is found, strong action will be taken...the firm may be blacklisted and the deal cancelled,' said Chacko.
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