Who received the chopper deal kickbacks, asks BJP

The BJP on Thursday sharpened its attack on Congress President Sonia Gandhi over the AugustaWestland VVIP chopper scam with the ruling party’s President, Amit Shah, asking her to name those who received the “kickbacks”.

Amid pandemonium in Parliament, newly-sworn Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy asked for a discussion under a provision that entails division of votes with the ostensible purpose of isolating the Congress. Sources said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will make a statement on the issue next week.

Swamy raised the VVIP helicopter deal in the Rajya Sabha as soon as Navjot Singh Sidhu was sworn in even as the Congress members were shouting him down. “I am not going to mention that lady’s name,” Swamy said in apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi.

Rules cited When Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien asked Swamy under what rule was he raising the issue, he said he wanted to raise a matter of public importance under rule 167. Kurien then told the BJP MP that Rule 167 is for discussion in House, the procedure for which is that once notice is given, the Chairman decides whether to allow a discussion on the matter raised.

Meanwhile, the BJP President mounted at a direct attack on Sonia Gandhi.

“All I want to ask her (Sonia Gandhi) is that those who gave bribe are in jail in Italy, then where are those who received the kickbacks? Who was in power at that time? They are responsible and they should bring out the truth. It should be disclosed before the people of the country,” he said.

Taking a jibe at Gandhi over her remarks on Wednesday that she does not fear anybody, Shah said she is “right” and that is why such “scams” keep coming out in the open.

‘BJP respects constitution’ “That is why when the National Herald corruption case happens; you say you do not fear anybody. When the AgustaWestland case occurs, you say you do not fear anybody... I want to tell her that we in the Bharatiya Janata Party are afraid of the Constitution, rules and public norms,” he told a group of journalists.

“I think she should come out of this mindset about whether she fears anybody or not and make it clear before the people that when it has been proved by an Italian court that bribe was given, then who received the money. Who are responsible?” he asked.

Taking a dig at the UPA government, he said it was a “rare dispensation” as scams under the regime were reported when it was in power and they continue to be reported even two years after it was voted out.

Gandhi had on Wednesday rejected as “baseless” allegations linking her and party leaders to bribes in the chopper deal, calling these an attempt at character assassination.