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Chopper deal: Ready for any discussion in
parliament: PM
Tuesday February 19, 2013 12:27:18 AM,
IANS
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New Delhi: The
government was "ready for any discussion" including the VVIP
chopper deal in parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said
Monday as the BJP signalled it would raise the issue forcefully in
the budget session beginning Feb 21.
A team of CBI and defence ministry officials left for Italy Monday
to get more information on the alleged kickbacks in the $750 mn
(Rs.3,600 crore) chopper deal.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said no
"concrete material" was received from Italy to substantiate the
corruption allegations.
He was non-committal on whether the issue would be discussed with
visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron as the Italian
company's helicopter subsidiary is Britain-based.
"Parliament is the appropriate forum to discuss all issues raised
by the opposition. We are ready for any discussion," the prime
minister told reporters on the sidelines of a function at
Rashtrapati Bhavan to queries about the opposition threat to
disrupt parliament over the deal.
"We have nothing to hide," he added.
The Congress also said that the BJP could ask any question in
parliament.
The BJP has accused the government of covering up the conspiracy
concerning kickbacks in the chopper deal and sought to make
comparison with the Bofors howitzer scam.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the party would raise the
chopper deal in parliament and attacked Defence Minister A.K.
Antony saying he was "guilty" too.
"Antony has given several orders to inquire into the monumental
chopper scam. He is struggling to keep his Mr. Clean image on the
forefront by desperately ordering an inquiry and issuing a notice
to cancel the deal," Rudy said.
"He has been the defence minister since October 2006 and is guilty
of what happened under him as minister," Rudy added.
In response, Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said:
"Whatever clarifications the BJP needs, they should come and ask
in the house. We have never said that we won't reply to their
questions. So, why are they shying away from coming to parliament
and raising these issues," she told reporters.
Khurshid told reporters that the government has not been able to
get any solid proof from Italy on the kickbacks in the February
2010 deal for 12 AW101 helicopters from Finmeccanica's subsidiary
AgustaWestland for the Indian Air Force's elite Communication
Squadron, which ferries the president, the prime minister and
other VVIPs.
"Even now we are not being able to get concrete material from
Italians where matter has proceeded, arrests have been made,"
Khurshid said.
"Up to this point they (Italian government) haven't indicated
anything and according to their rules they are unable to share
anything with us. So I think it is a little premature to jump into
conclusion what we can get and from where," he said.
"The best efforts we could make we are making. We have sent teams
(to Italy). They will come back with information which we can
analyze and comment on," Khurshid added.
The minister was non-committal if the issue will be on the agenda
in talks with Cameron, who arrived in India on a three-day trip
Monday.
"I know what the agenda was a week ago but I don't know what the
agenda is now or if there is a revised agenda at all," Khurshid
said.
The defence ministry Friday initiated action for cancellation of
the chopper contract. It also issued a formal show-cause notice to
AgustaWestland to explain within a week why the contract should
not be cancelled.
The matter came into the limelight after Italian agencies arrested
Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi for alleged corruption to seal the
deal last week.
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