This Article is From Apr 29, 2016

Subramanian Swamy Challenges Removal Of His Comments In Parliament

Subramanian Swamy Challenges Removal Of His Comments In Parliament

Subramanian Swamy accuses Mr Azad, who is Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha of "falsely stating" in Parliament that the previous Congress-led UPA government had blacklisted helicopter maker AgustaWestland.

Highlights

  • His remarks were removed from parliament records twice in two days
  • He raised scam on his first working day in parliament, named Sonia Gandhi
  • Swamy was sworn in as a Rajya Sabha member on Tuesday
New Delhi: Subramanian Swamy wraps up a busy first week as BJP lawmaker in the Rajya Sabha by challenging the removal of his comments against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi from Parliament records. He has also moved a privilege motion against the Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Mr Swamy accuses Mr Azad, who is Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha of "falsely stating" in Parliament that the previous Congress-led UPA government had blacklisted helicopter maker AgustaWestland and its Italian parent company Finmeccanica.

In a series of tweets Subramanian Swamy said:
  
Mr Swamy's comments were expunged twice in two days - the first on Wednesday, when he named Congress president Sonia Gandhi in connection with the AgustaWestland scam. The very next day his reference to Italy during a discussion on the Aligarh Muslim University was expunged.

A political battle has been raging Parliament since it emerged that bribes were paid in India for the Rs. 3,600 crore deal with AgustaWestland for 12 helicopters to be used by leaders.

Mr Azad has said in Parliament that his party, in power till 2014, had ordered a CBI investigation and had blacklisted AgustaWestland and Finmecannica from competing for defence contracts in India and alleges that decision was reversed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP says the Congress' claim of action is an attempt at covering up for top leaders who are mentioned by name in documents that led to Finmeccanica executives being convicted this month in Italy for paying bribes in India.

"Sonia Gandhi is being protected in the case," said Mr Swamy, a known Gandhi family baiter who is leading the BJP's onslaught against the Congress in Parliament.

"Ghulam Nabi lied about blacklisting. No blacklisting happened. It is also untrue that we removed the blacklisting. We gave orders that there would be no fresh purchase by the defence ministry until court gives decision," Mr Swamy said as he set off for Parliament today.
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