Manohar Parrikar to make statement on AugustaWestland deal today

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will make a statement in Parliament today on the AgustaWestland chopper scam. He will place all facts along with the detailed chronology about the controversial deal before the Rajya Sabha at 2 PM in a short duration debate. Mr Pakkikar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday to discuss the issue.

Senior Congress leaders also met party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence yesterday evening to chalk out strategy how to counter BJP in Parliament on AgustaWestland issue.

For the BJP, new Rajya Sabha MP



Subramanian Swamy will lead the discussion along with Bhupendra Yadav. The Congress is expected to field Abhishek Singhvi, Anand Sharma and former Defence Minister AK Antony.

Congress leaders, including Mrs Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are mentioned by name in documents that an Italian court used to conclude last month that bribes of up to 30 million euros were paid in India for the deal for 12 helicopters.

The Agusta deal was signed in 2010 and was cancelled in 2014, after the allegations of corruption surfaced.