Sonia Gandhi Meets Party Leaders on AgustaWestland Issue
A meeting was held to plan a strategy to tackle BJP’s accusations of Congress’s role in the AgustaWestland case.
With the AgustaWestland chopper issue coming up for debate in the Rajya Sabha on 3 May, Congress President Sonia Gandhi held a strategy meeting with senior party leaders on Tuesday evening.
The consultations were significant in view of the fact that BJP member Subramanian Swamy had dragged her name in the issue in the Upper House last week, amid sharp protests from Congress members.
At the All India Congress Commitee (AICC) briefing, party spokesman Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the party was all for debate on the issue in both Houses of Parliament to clear the air on the matter. In the Lok Sabha too, Congress has given notices for a short duration discussion on the issue as also for a calling attention notice.
When Rahul Gandhi was asked to respond to BJP’s attempts to drag his name into the scam, the Congress Vice President replied saying:
Congress’ strategy of attacking Modi government over the Italian marines issue came to the fore during the debate, with the party coming down heavily on the Centre in the matter on 2 May.
AICC alleged that Modi government “entered into a conspiracy” to “falsely accuse” the party leadership in AugustaWestland chopper case and made a “weak defence” in the Italian marines case as “quid pro quo”.
In the past one week, the party has raised several questions for the Prime Minister in the matter and declared that it has nothing to hide. Former Defence Minister AK Antony, who was in poll-bound Kerala, returned on 2 May to participate in the discussion.
Besides Antony, Congress’ Deputy leader Anand Sharma and party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, who is a senior advocate, are expected to participate.
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