NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday alleged that the Modi government and "its agencies" forced middleman Christian Michel to sign a false confessional statement naming Sonia Gandhi in return for exoneration from any charge in the
AgustaWestland Case.
In a press conference, the Congress said that the lid has been "lifted off the ‘concerted conspiracy’, ‘blind vendetta’ and ‘web of lies’ weaved by the ‘Master of Deception’ (MD) – Shri
Narendra Modi against the Congress leadership in AgustaWestland Case."
Congress leader Randeep S Surjewala said that Indian agencies have "failed" to produce any evidence against Michel following his arrest in Dubai on Wednesday.
"Indian agencies are merely involved in hatching a conspiracy against leaders of opposition and using Christian Michael as a tool for the purpose," the Congress leader alleged.
Surjewala also accused the Prime Minister of being a complicit in gaining ‘false evidence’ against opposition leaders to seek revenge.
Accusing the CBI/ED of "prostrating" before the Prime Minister, Surjewala said the agencies are being used as a "captive puppet" and a "willing tool" of malicious conspiracy.
"Undisputed facts in AgustaWestland Case are that UPA-Congress Government had cancelled the contract for supply of 12 helicopters for a total cost of Rs 3,546 crore in February 2013 and proceeded to handover the case to the CBI on 12th February 2013," the Congress leader defended the allegations levelled against his party.
The Congress leader further added that the UPA-Congress government proceeded to encash the securities/bank guarantees (both in India & abroad) & recovered an amount of Rs 2,068 crore against original payment of Rs 1,620 crore.
The then UPA-led government also confiscated three AgustaWestland helicopters worth Rs 886.50 crore. Thus, effectively recovering Rs 3,000 crore, Surjewala said.
The Congress leader further added that on February 10, 2014, three months before Modi-led government came to power at the Centre, his government had blacklisted AgustaWestland and its parent company Finmeccanica.
However, the Congress leader alleged, that when the NDA government came to power it undid the UPA government's decision to blacklist the firms.
Modi Government has been ‘protector and benefactor’ of AgustaWestland/Finmeccanica, the Congress leader alleged.
"Modi Govt has permitted them to participate in Defence contracts as a ‘sub-contractor’ and ‘defence supplier’. Not only this, Modi Govt cleared foreign investment in August 2014 in a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Tata," he said.
The Congress leader pointed that the Modi government not only removed the firms from blacklist, it also invited them to be a part of the 'Make In India' programme, participate in the 'Aero India Exhibition' and permitted the company to bid for 100 Navy utility helicopters.
