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Sonia, Rahul didnât interfere in any defence deal, BJP is lying: Antony

Former Defence Minister and Congress leader AK Antony and Randeep Singh Surjewala in New Delhi on Monday. MR Bhui

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 31

Former Defence Minister AK Antony on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of going soft against Anglo-Italian helicopter maker AgustaWestland and asserted that then Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the present party chief, Rahul Gandhi, never interfered either in the defence deals or in the functioning of the Defence Ministry during his tenure (October 2006-May 2014).

The issue of the AgustaWestland has cropped up as Christen Michel, a UK national, is in custody in India and for allegedly acting as the middleman in the purchase of the 12 VVIP helicopters for Rs 3,600 crore. The purchase was scrapped by the Congress-led UPA regime following allegations of corruption in Italy, the headquarters of AgustaWestland’s mother company Finmeccanica (now named Leonardo). Antony accused the BJP of misusing ‘agencies’ and spreading lies.

“If we had anything to hide (in the AgustaWestland deal) would we have cancelled the contract, would we have ordered a CBI probe, would we have moved international arbitration to encash the back guarantee?” he questioned. Listing out that the deal was scrapped by him after allegations in Italy, he said in February 2013 the process of black listing was started but the company could not be blacklisted till we encashed our bank guarantee.

Antony questioned the functioning of the Modi government which in July 2014 blacklisted Finmeccanica and in August that year removed the same company from the blacklisting.

“Were you acting against the accused or were you helping them?” Randeep Surjewala questioned the BJP. Surjewala asked the BJP to clarify how Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had reportedly told his Cabinet colleagues about being in possession of a file on the Rafale jet deal.

Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha the Congress said it was ready for a debate on the Rafale jet deal on January 2.

“Jaitley ji has thrown a challenge … we are ready for a debate on January 2. Please decide a time,” Congress Leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said.