New Delhi: With Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar making a detailed statement on the controversial AgustaWestland deal in Parliament yesterday and the Congress leaders walking out of the House in protest, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday said the innocent need not worry from the ongoing probe in the VVIP chopper deal and asserted his government’s commitment to make India ‘corruption free’.
“AgustaWestland issue was discussed yesterday. One thing is pretty clear that corruption took place and bribe was taken. Those who gave bribe are behind the bars and those who took bribe are roaming free here. Accused are dictating the terms, suggesting the sections and demanding for specific court. If someone is innocent then there is no need to worry,” Naqvi told ANI
“We aren’t doing any politics in it, we are just clearing corruption in order to make a corruption free India…Italy court has done its work, now our investigation agencies will do their work,” he added.
On Wednesday, Congress leaders staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after being dissatisfied with Parrikar’s statement. Leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said all allegations levelled against his party colleagues are baseless.
Alleging that the procurement process in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal was violated, Parrikar had said that the former UPA regime had created “single-vendor situation” to benefit from the same. Parrikar also said the UPA regime tried to take the longer route of writing to the embassy and the court etc. instead of taking action against the company. (ANI)