‘How Long Will Govt Protect Bribe-Takers?’
New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday likened the VVIP chopper deal to the “makings of a second Bofors scam,” and asked the government how long it will “protect” bribe-takers. The main Opposition threatened to raise the issue during the Budget session of Parliament, beginning February 21.
The party demanded that the helicopter deal be reviewed and supply of the remaining nine choppers be stopped till all doubts are cleared. “It is a Bofors-like case. When the bribe-giver has been caught, why can’t the bribetaker be identified? Till when will the Indian government protect the bribe-takers?”
“The BJP will raise the issue in the budget session of Parliament and seek a reply from the government to identify who the bribe-takers are and who are protecting them,” leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.
The party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “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 conducted in the matter for the past one year?”
Coming down on defence minister A K Antony, saying he should have called the Italian ambassador to discuss reports of financial irregularities in the AugustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, Prasad asked, “Why did Antony not write to the Italian defence minister or send a delegation to Italy to get more details?”
The BJP demanded that the Rs 3,500-crore deal be reviewed and supply of the remaining nine choppers be stopped till the issue is probed thoroughly. Jaitley accused the CBI of trying to “cover up” rather than uncover a case through investigations.
The main Opposition accused Antony of giving an incorrect statement in Parliament about the VVIP chopper deal and said he should clarify.
When pointed out that the decision to acquire these helicopters was taken during the NDA regime, Prasad said, “There are many good initiatives that were taken in the interest of the country by our NDA government, but the following UPA government seems to have found ways to make money from them, like it happened in the case of Commonwealth Games, the opening up of the telecom sector and now the helicopter deal.”
“UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should clarify why there is corruption in every department of this government. There has been a loot in every department — be it telecom, coal or defence,” Prasad said. He maintained that during the UPA’s rule, there have been other discrepancies in defence deals like the supply of Tatra trucks.
COURTESY:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2013/02/14&PageLabel=12&EntityId=Ar01201&ViewMode=HTML
New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday likened the VVIP chopper deal to the “makings of a second Bofors scam,” and asked the government how long it will “protect” bribe-takers. The main Opposition threatened to raise the issue during the Budget session of Parliament, beginning February 21.
The party demanded that the helicopter deal be reviewed and supply of the remaining nine choppers be stopped till all doubts are cleared. “It is a Bofors-like case. When the bribe-giver has been caught, why can’t the bribetaker be identified? Till when will the Indian government protect the bribe-takers?”
“The BJP will raise the issue in the budget session of Parliament and seek a reply from the government to identify who the bribe-takers are and who are protecting them,” leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.
The party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “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 conducted in the matter for the past one year?”
Coming down on defence minister A K Antony, saying he should have called the Italian ambassador to discuss reports of financial irregularities in the AugustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, Prasad asked, “Why did Antony not write to the Italian defence minister or send a delegation to Italy to get more details?”
The BJP demanded that the Rs 3,500-crore deal be reviewed and supply of the remaining nine choppers be stopped till the issue is probed thoroughly. Jaitley accused the CBI of trying to “cover up” rather than uncover a case through investigations.
The main Opposition accused Antony of giving an incorrect statement in Parliament about the VVIP chopper deal and said he should clarify.
When pointed out that the decision to acquire these helicopters was taken during the NDA regime, Prasad said, “There are many good initiatives that were taken in the interest of the country by our NDA government, but the following UPA government seems to have found ways to make money from them, like it happened in the case of Commonwealth Games, the opening up of the telecom sector and now the helicopter deal.”
“UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should clarify why there is corruption in every department of this government. There has been a loot in every department — be it telecom, coal or defence,” Prasad said. He maintained that during the UPA’s rule, there have been other discrepancies in defence deals like the supply of Tatra trucks.
COURTESY:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2013/02/14&PageLabel=12&EntityId=Ar01201&ViewMode=HTML
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