VVIP chopper scam: I am relieved, says SP Tyagi

New Delhi: Facing a CBI probe for his alleged role in the Rs 3600 crore VVIP chopper scam, former IAF chief SP Tyagi on Thursday said he was relieved by the verdict of an Italian court which acquitted two former CEOs of Finmeccannica of corruption charges in the case there.

"I am relieved but knowing the Indian system, I do not know how relieved I should be," he said while reacting to the Italian court's verdict.

Seeking to give himself a clean chit in the case, he said, "Because one Italian gentleman said something (against me), the whole systems seem to have believed him and ordered a CBI probe into the case. But from day one, I knew that there was nothing wrong in this whole case."

Talking to TV channels, he claimed that "political football" was being played despite knowing that there were two governments, two PMOs and two Defence Ministers involved in the process and the whole process that was followed before arriving at a decision.

Tyagi sought to involve the armed forces to defend his case saying nobody defends the armed forces.

His cousin Rajiv Tyagi, who is also under the scanner of the investigative agencies for his alleged role in the case, said, "Not only me and my family are relived but saddened also by the conduct of the Indian officialdom which despite knowing the truth went ahead to malign us." PTI

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AAP's Bhagwant Mann slams Punjab govt for drug menace

Amritsar, Oct 9 (PTI) Comedian and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann today slammed the Punjab government alleging that drug dealers were freely roaming in the state while police was making poor drug addict youths as scapegoats.

"The Punjab government never thought to eradicate unemployment in the state, due to which the youth got frustrated and slipped to drug addiction," the AAP leader claimed.

Mann, an MP from Sangrur Parliamentary seat, said, "When the roots of a tree are infected then there is no benefit in spraying medicine on leaves as it would be useless exercise."

He alleged that drug lords and dealers were roaming freely in Punjab and police was catching poor youth who are drug addicts.

The AAP leader was in the city for promotion of his upcoming Punjabi movie.

He alleged that the SAD-BJP combine government was "unable" to control drug addiction among youth.

Venting his ire on NDA government, Mann said he was still living in a hotel in Delhi as the Narendra Modi-led government failed to allot him official accommodation.

Mann also took a dig at former BJP MP from Amritsar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and said that he was daring enough to speak against Chief Minister Paraksh Singh Badal during public rallies in Haryana, but can't do it inside Punjab.