Congress wary of Swamy ahead of chopper debate
TNN | May 4, 2016, 06.32 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Mind games are on ahead of Wednesday's discussion on Choppergate in the Rajya Sabha as Congress plans to target its pet hate Subramanian Swamy and defence minister Manohar Parrikar is likely to avoid holding any papers to preempt attempts to snatch them from his hands.
If Parrikar has his way, he would like Swamy to exhaust the Congress benches in the morning itself. Since he became a nominated MP this session, Swamy's success in ensuring an adjournment has seen the morning session being referred to as the "Swamy hour".
On Wednesday, Congress is expected to watch Swamy closely like a football defence following a particularly pernicious forward even as former defence minister A K Antony is expected to counter Parrikar on Choppergate.
Other Congress netas who might speak include leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Ahmed Patel. They will look to counter-attack the pitch that UPA showed no interest in tracking the graft trail in the acquisition of AgustaWestland helicopters.
On his part, Parrikar seems ready to argue that UPA helped AgustaWestland win the Rs 3,600 crore deal by changes in specifications that were okayed by then IAF chief S P Tyagi.
While Congress said the changes were initiated by the Vajpayee government, BJP has argued that these were limited to ensuring that a single vendor situation did not arise. Parrikar is understood to be ready with an aggressive argument on UPA's alleged complicity in Choppergate, with Antony signing a hastily written six-page note putting the VVIP deal "on hold" just days before the 2014 Lok Sabha results were announced on May 16.
Parrikar has said he would reveal details on the deal but the main opposition does not seem to be ready to listen to him and noisy disruptions might well be the order of the day. Parrikar is nonetheless determined to make his speech in full. Even though establishing the money trail in the kickbacks needs further investigation, Parrikar can be expected to argue that the evidence so far does make it clear that bribes were paid and UPA did its bid to help Italian defence firm Finmeccanica -the parent company of AgustaWestland.
If Parrikar has his way, he would like Swamy to exhaust the Congress benches in the morning itself. Since he became a nominated MP this session, Swamy's success in ensuring an adjournment has seen the morning session being referred to as the "Swamy hour".
On Wednesday, Congress is expected to watch Swamy closely like a football defence following a particularly pernicious forward even as former defence minister A K Antony is expected to counter Parrikar on Choppergate.
Other Congress netas who might speak include leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Ahmed Patel. They will look to counter-attack the pitch that UPA showed no interest in tracking the graft trail in the acquisition of AgustaWestland helicopters.
On his part, Parrikar seems ready to argue that UPA helped AgustaWestland win the Rs 3,600 crore deal by changes in specifications that were okayed by then IAF chief S P Tyagi.
While Congress said the changes were initiated by the Vajpayee government, BJP has argued that these were limited to ensuring that a single vendor situation did not arise. Parrikar is understood to be ready with an aggressive argument on UPA's alleged complicity in Choppergate, with Antony signing a hastily written six-page note putting the VVIP deal "on hold" just days before the 2014 Lok Sabha results were announced on May 16.
Parrikar has said he would reveal details on the deal but the main opposition does not seem to be ready to listen to him and noisy disruptions might well be the order of the day. Parrikar is nonetheless determined to make his speech in full. Even though establishing the money trail in the kickbacks needs further investigation, Parrikar can be expected to argue that the evidence so far does make it clear that bribes were paid and UPA did its bid to help Italian defence firm Finmeccanica -the parent company of AgustaWestland.
10 COMMENTS
Rise and fall of a party and congress which epitomises sycophancy will be doomed with its track of massive corruption now exposed to perish.
The defense minister could hold some papers not relevant to Choppergate in his hand and let the opposition grab them.If a few MP''s do their homework like Swamy the nation would be better of.
Top Comment
Rise and fall of a party and congress which epitomises sycophancy will be doomed with its track of massive corruption now exposed to perish.Kallumadanda Ganesh