PM Modi trying to drag Nehru-Gandhi family in chopper deal: Digvijay Singh

Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to "drag" the name of "Nehru-Gandhi family" into the controversial AgustaWestland deal in tune with the NDA government's agenda to "malign" their image on the issue, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh alleged in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

He alleged that it was the BJP's strategy to "defame" the members of the Nehru-Gandhi family as well as the Congress "as they (NDA Government) could not prove anything linking them in the case during the past two years".

Singh said the then UPA government had blacklisted the Italian firm (Finmeccanica) as soon as it suspected foul play in the (VVIP chopper) deal.

"As soon as the UPA came to know about the (AgustaWestland) scandal, the contract was cancelled. AgustaWestland was blacklisted. A CBI probe was ordered. A case has been filed. Whatever has to be done, the UPA government did its job.

"There is no charge on the Nehru-Gandhi family members in the Italian court. Even Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said there were no names mentioned by the court. But Narendra Modi is trying to drag Nehru-Gandhi family into the issue," the AICC general secretary told reporters.

"Why CBI so far could not establish who took bribes?" he questioned in response to the BJP's barbs on the issue.

Referring to the NIA move to drop all charges against Sadhvi Pragya Singh and five other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, he said, "ever since the BJP came to power it is assumed that the persons who are associated with 'Sangh Parivar' would be given the clean chit".

He alleged that the ruling BJP has gone to the extent of "discrediting" slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare who had probed the blast case.

NIA had also given up charges under the stringent MCOCA law against all the other 10 accused including Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit in the case.

Singh alleged the ruling TRS government in Telangana has failed to fulfill the promises it had made during the Assembly elections.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Uttam Kumar Reddy announced on the occasion that the Congress would not maintain any media relations with a Telugu newspaper and a television channel that are said to be owned by "the people close to TRS".

He alleged the concerned media house has been airing biased news without taking all versions.