BJP resurrects Agusta ghost, asks Cong to speak up

New Delhi, Nov 17 The BJP on Tuesday asked why defence deals inevitably ended in bringing up names of Congress leaders, as the party launched a scathing attack over new revelations in the alleged AgustaWestland scam.

"What does the Congress have to say when its leaders are being named in kickback cases in defence deals again? Why do we always get names of Congress leaders whenever a defence deal is referred?" asked Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while addressing the media on Tuesday.

The union minster also quoted Rajiv Saxena to have said on Ratul Puri, Kamal Nath's nephew that "I have been sent messages by him since the time he came to Dubai instructing me not to give any document/information/statement linking his father or his uncle in any matter"

"Saxena alleges that "name-dropping" by Gupta and Khaitan was "legendary." They frequently dropped names of leading political figures in their conversations with a view to impress upon their influence in the corridors of power. They often mentioned the names of Salman Khurshid and Kamal uncle which I deduce was a reference to Mr Kamal Nath," alleged Prasad.

Quoting Saxena, Prasad further alleged that the name AP cropped up repeatedly.

"The BJP demands Congress party not to maintain a silence on this grave issue! The nation is awake and listening," Prasad said on Tuesday.

He further alleged that whenever one thinks of a kickback in a military deal, one ends up thinking of Congress leaders. "From Jeep scandal to Bofors to Submarine scandal to several more and AgustaWestland helicopters, no work was done without kickbacks benefiting Congress leaders," the BJP leader charged.

The AgustaWestland scam involves VVIP choppers which is investigated as a corruption case where it has been alleged that bribes were paid to middlemen.

( With inputs from IANS )