New Delhi [India]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, which has been facing the heat of the opposition post the demonetisation drive, today attempted to shift focus from the ongoing disruptions in Parliament and cornered the Congress over the Agusta Westland deal while challenging the grand old party to respond to the allegations.
Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, who led the charge on behalf of the government, said it is important to reach to the bottom of truth in the VVIP chopper scam.
“My advice to them is first face this Agusta heat, respond to the allegations and then discuss other issues also…the government has no problem. The people have not been allowing the Parliament to function for the last 16 to 17 days and on the last day they come and they have something to reveal,” Naidu told the media here.
“Who is stopping you from revealing all these? What happened to you all these days?” he asked.
Alleging that the AgustaWestland deal is one of the biggest scams in recent years, Naidu demanded a discussion on the same in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
“As the House is in session, we must discuss this in the House because this is a biggest scam in the recent years that too pertaining to defence deals during the UPA regime. The UPA successfully prevented the truth from coming out,” said Naidu.
“Now that there is a change of government, the inquiry has to be expedited and then the nation also has to be told who is behind all these,” he added.
In an apparent attack on Congress vice-president
Rahul Gandhi, Naidu said it is quite surprising that the people, who are in the cesspool of corruption over the years, dare to put an accusing finger against the government without any basis.
“These are absurd allegations and if they have any information they are free to make it public and then the government will respond. Spit and run tactics will not help,” he added.
Naidu also came to the rescue of his Cabinet colleague Kiren Rijiju, who has been facing the opposition heat over an alleged case of corruption in a hydro project in Arunachal Pradesh.
“They have been doing it earlier also. They tried to tar the image of Vasundhara Raje. They tried to tar the image of Sushma Swaraj. They tried to bring in the names of others also. Now they are trying to bring the name of Kiren Rijiju,” Naidu said.
“He is only seen according to these people is that some local people who have supplied some material have asked for their payments which was long overdue. So, Kiren Rijiju forwarded the letter. That also they make it as scam,” he added.
Escalating his attack on the Congress, Naidu said the opposition has done great injustice to the people of the country by blocking the Parliament.
“Now on the last day you can’t accuse the government that the government is blocking. You have run away from the debate and you prevented the functioning of both the Houses of Parliament. You have no moral right to criticize others,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day while the Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 12:32 p.m. following uproar as Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue of the plight of farmers due to drought and demonetisation. (ANI)