Sonia Gandhi Rejects Allegations in AgustaWestland Chopper Deal

Sonia Gandhi and Congress come under fire as Subramanian Swamy alleges corruption in VVIP chopper deal.

File photo of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. (Photo: PTI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politically attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi with the AgustaWestland chopper deal. Sonia Gandhi, however, dared the furore caused by newly appointed Rajya Sabha member from BJP, Subramanian Swamy as he sparked the topic in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Calling it attempts at character assassination, Gandhi rejected as “baseless” allegations linking her and party leaders to bribes in the AgustaWestland chopper deal.

Sonia Gandhi Seeks Proof of her Involvement, Alleges Character Assasination

Sonia Gandhi in response to the allegations, which she claimed are false, questioned the inaction in the matter for the two years since the establishment of new government. She said:

I’am not afraid of anyone cornering me as there is no basis to that. All the accusations they are throwing at us are false. Where are the proofs. They are lying. They are part of a strategy of character assassination which we have known these people indulge in.

Referring to the two-year-old Modi government, Gandhi demanded the enquiry in the matter to be completed.

The government is there for the last 2 years. What are they doing? Inquiry is there, why don’t they complete it? Complete it as soon as possible, impartially. This government, when they are saying all these things outside and inside the Parliament, why can’t they investigate?

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Not Out-of-the-blue

Contrary to Sonia Gandhi’s claims, however, the matter was being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED found out that a man named Christian Michel (51) who helped Finmeccanica executives to secure the VVIP chopper deal worth Rs 3,600 crore, was paid a kickback of 26 million Pounds.

The investigation in March 2015 revealed that a travel agent named Ramesh Kumar Nanda was responsible for Michel’s handling in India.

The picture of AgustaWestland kingpin, Christian Michel. (Photo Courtesy: Screenshot from CNN-IBN)

Also read: VVIP Chopper Deal: AgustaWestland Kingpin Identified as Christian Michel

An Italian court had also written to the UPS-led government of India for not sharing relevant documents with investigators in Italy, according to The Economic Times.

The Italian counterpart of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also had tried to contact the Indian government.

The Italian court mentioned a handwritten note recovered in March 2013 from former Finmeccanica head Giuseppe Orsi’s prison cell.

“Call Monti or amb. Teracciano in my name to ask him to call the PM Singh.”

Terracciano was diplomatic advisor to then Italian PM at the time.

Sonia Gandhi’s Secy Swears by her

Gandhi’s political secretary and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel also rubbished the allegations against him and the party as “absolutely baseless.”

Congress MP Ahmed Patel arrives during the Parliament Session in New Delhi on Wednesday, 27 April 2016. (Photo: PTI)

“If there is something against me, they should find out and they should hang me,” he said when asked by reporters for his reactions over the allegations.

It is believed that this is an attempt by the government to cripple the Congress’ protest in the Rajya Sabha against the President rule in its stronghold state – Uttarakhand. Rajya Sabha was dysfunctional for the first two days of the second part of the budget session.

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