BJP targets Sonia after Italian court verdict

The BJP targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as part of an all-out offensive in Parliament against the “scam” in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland deal for VVIP choppers.

The party has seized upon on the judgment of an Italian court investigating the role of officials of defence manufacturer Finmeccanica — Agusta’s parent company — in bribing politicians and officers in India as it has cited documents that name “Signora Gandhi”. 

As details of the Italian court order emerged, the BJP discussed its strategy in Parliament at a weekly meeting attended by Prime



Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the case “had proved that the Congress is all about scams” and the opposition party had to answer.

Senior BJP leaders said the Italian court, in its judgment convicting AgustaWestland chief Giuseppe Orsi, described how the firm paid bribes to top Congress leaders in India and lobbied with them to bag the Rs 3,600-crore deal.

They held that the judgment exposed the Congress’ role in pushing the deal and accused the erstwhile UPA government for not cooperating with the Italian probe team.