Parrikar Attacks Cong, Swamy to Authenticate Chopper Documents

The Quint brings you the latest updates from the second part of the Budget Session of Parliament.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. (Photo: LSTV screengrab)

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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar launched an invective against the Congress on the AgustaWestland issue in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Jyotiraditya Scindia held his own on behalf of the Congress in his speech and accused the NDA of spinning a web of illusions.

Responding to Jyotiraditya Scindia’s speech BJP leader Kirit Somaiya asked the House and the opposition where the money went.

Parrikar also responded to Scindia saying that he is monitoring the CBI investigation of the AgustaWestland case personally.

The Congress staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha as Parrikar gave his response on the chopper deal.

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 7:09 PM

Lok Sabha has been adjourned until 9 May 11:00 am.

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 6:51 PM

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned until 9 May 11:00 am.

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 6:21 PM

Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs, MA Naqvi told the Rajya Sabha that Subramanian Swamy has already authenticated the AgustaWestland documents that he had cited in the Parliament.

VP Singh Badnore, who was chairing the Rajya Sabha, said, “I have been told that it has been authenticated.”

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 6:48 PM

Discussion on Capital Punishment

Speaking on the motion of making amendments to capital punishment laws in an effort to do away with the death penalty, Dr E M Sudarsana Natchiappan from the INC noted that capital punishment was drafted as a law by Lord Macaulay in colonial India.

CPI leader D Raja added that “capital punishment cannot be seen as a simple law, it’s a moral question.”

As a civilised society, we have to say “no” to capital punishment.

D Raja, CPI Leader

Going against the motion, BJP member Subramanian Swamy said:

The Supreme Court had said that only in the rarest of the rare cases will capital punishment be given. All the democratic and communist countries have unanimously said that they need capital punishment. In my opinion, the Congress is a little confused about it themselves. They hanged Afzal Guru but they don’t want to the killers of Rajeev Gandhi to be hanged. This discussion is futile, India will have capital punishment.

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 6:48 PM

Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, PJ Kurien gave BJP leader Subramanian Swamy a deadline of 6 pm to authenticate the documents that he cited in the Rajya Sabha while speaking about the AgustaWestland chopper deal.

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 5:39 PM

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Lok Sabha adjourned till 4 pm.

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 2:56 PM

The Congress stages a walkout from the Lok Sabha as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar gives his response on the AgustaWestland matter.

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 2:52 PM

Parrikar’s Response to Scindia

Scindia took a number of liberties with the truth. I can list the actions taken by the NDA government in this matter. Though ED and CBI are not my responsibility, I am monitoring the matter myself. I am monitoring the progress of the CBI.

Manohar Parrikar, Defence Minister

Even I don’t know the details of the letter from the Prime Minister’s Office to Michell, but Scindia seems to know it. How?

Manohar Parrikar

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 5:09 PM

Responding to Jyotiraditya Scindia’s speech, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya asked the House and the opposition where the money went.

The issue is who benefited from the scam and where did the money go?

Kirit Somaiya

Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 2:53 PM

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2.30 pm.

In the Lok Sabha on Friday, Manohar Parrikar launched an invective against the Congress on the AgustaWestland issue.

The CBI registered an FIR in the matter in March 2013, but a copy of FIR was not forwarded to ED until December. The UPA did not take any action against the company. 

Manohar Parrikar, Defence Minister

Jyotiraditya Scindia, held his own on behalf of the Congress and pointed fingers at the NDA instead.

The norms were relaxed in 2003 by the NDA govt and not the UPA govt. The fact is that the proceedings for the deal started in 1999. In 2003, they changed the chopper height to 4,500 metre. Our government asked ED and CBI to initiate an investigation in the matter. We have put our balance sheet in the House. Now it’s BJP’s turn. BJP is protesting against the bogus and corrupt AgustaWestland. But the same government invited the company for its Make In India expo in 2015. In addition to this, Judge Maiga gave the Gandhis a clean chit. 

Jyotiraditya Scindia

Manohar Parrikar wasn’t about to take the barrage lying down.

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Updated at:6th May, 2016 at 2:12 PM