AgustaWestland scam: TMC demands discussion on immediate basis

Asserting that the Congress and the Left are already cornered in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national spokesperson Derek O' Brien on Monday said his party does not have to give a Rajya Sabha notice to corner them on AgustaWestland chopper scam.

"Congress and Left are already cornered in Bengal. So, we don't have to give a Rajya Sabha notice to corner them. Yes, we have given a notice to the Rajya Sabha for suspension of all business and to take up today itself the very serious issue of AgustaWestland chopper scam," O'Brien told ANI here.

He also demanded that the issue to be taken up for discussion on an immediate basis.

"They (Congress) are doing a lot of big talk now. This is not the time for big talk from us; we will wait till the May 19th of May," he added.

The TMC had earlier gave a notice in the Rajya Sabha for suspension of all business to pave way for immediate discussion on the alleged AgustaWestland chopper scam.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had questioned the silence of the TMC and the CPI (M) over the VVIP chopper deal.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said he will place all facts along with the detailed chronology about the controversial chopper deal before Parliament on May 4.

"I will place the detailed chronology with documents giving facts about AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on May 4," he said in Panaji.

AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force had been scrapped by the previous UPA regime over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents.

In January 2013, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA Government cancelled the deal and the CBI was assigned to investigate whether kickbacks were paid to Indian officials.